By Chuks Okeke, Nnewi
Former chairman of Ogbaru Relief(Main) market, Ogbaru Local Government Area, Anambra State, Chief Victor Nwawuzie, (a.k.a Akirika), weekend, commended the Governor of the State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, for demolishing illegal shops in the market.
Making the commendation while reacting to the two years in office of the governor, Chief Nwawuzie recalled that this is the second time the shops were demolished for being constructed under the high tension cables and on edges of gutters after the market fence.
"When Mr. Peter Obi was the former governor of the state, women who sell perishables, mostly widows, were chased out by the then market leadership and shops constructed in the open space but Obi pulled down the shops. Now the caretaker committee chairman of Ogbaru Main market, Chief Ndubuisi Ochiogu, reconstructed the illegal shops and Governor Soludo in anger pulled them down and threatened to sack the council chairman, Hon. Pascal Anlegbunam, if he delayed in demolishing the shops immediately.
Recall that Soludo while ordering for the immediate demolition said to the council chairman, "If you don't pull down this rubish tomorrow I will sack you. However that approved this must leave my government tomorrow. look at the high tension cables, where is the walk way".
In his defence the council chairman told the governor that the order for the construction came from Awka which annoyed the governor more and he demanded to know the person, vowing to sack him immediately.
According to Chief Nwawuzie, "It was the council chairman that brought excavator and pulled them down few days after the governor's order because work was still going on thinking the governor was not serious but the shops ordered for demolition not all of them have been demolished. The governor said all structures built after the market fence should be pulled down for walk-way."
" When I was the market chairman a commissioner ordered to build the shops and I refused but now the current market chairman went and built the shops without considering human life.
"I endorse the governor for second tenure, he has done well and after eight years he will go for higher position. Look at Okpoko, he stopped the contractor for messing up. He is doing excellent work in Okpoko. He has done very well on security and roads," he affirmed.