CALL OCHA BRIGADE TO ORDER – TRADERS URGE SOLUDO

REPORTER: ALFRED AJAYI

Some traders along Zik Avenue Awka have appealed to the Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, to prevail on the team enforcing the cleaning of drainage to respect the fundamental rights of the citizens as they go about their job.

They were reacting to what they termed inhumane approach of the enforcement team comprising operatives of Ocha Brigade, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), among others, who they accused of beating traders and sealing off their shops without justifications.

One of them, Mr. Anthony Umelue, decried the manner the team went about the job without listening to genuine complaints from traders about the sand and other debris, which often came from various parts of Awka to clog the culverts along the Zik Avenue where they ply their trade.

“We have been encountering this problem for a long. Before Governor Obiano stepped down, we were able to outline the problems.

“He said he was coming to our aid. He went to this Umuogbunu junction where if there is heavy rain, it brings sand and covers the gutter.

“He said he was going to look into it. Maybe they are going to create gutters and do the road. But, he never did it until he stepped down.

“Another problem is that those people sweeping the road sweep sand right into the gutter to block the drainage. At the end of the day, you force the masses to come and clean while you are paying those people that are obstructing the gutters,” Mr. Umelue cried out.

Another trader and Chief Security Officer, Kenechukwu Anekwe, said the traders were ready to cooperate with the government but the team of enforcers was making things difficult.

“They are not helping matters. We have our immediate past chairman, Ifekuaba from Awka here. During his own time, immediately they are bringing it out, they would put it in tipper and they go and dispose it.

“But this present chairman of the council, he came here with some other persons and they said that they should pack it.

“I said okay, if you force them to pack, you will put the tipper which will take it away. If you look around now, two lanes are becoming one. And they come here and start intimidating people.

“When they carry you to their office, they would take 20,000 and some of them 30,000 naira in this hardship. If we try to pack out this thing, they should bring a tipper to take it away,” Mr. Anekwe insisted.

Another trader, who pleaded anonymity, noted that desilting the drains was a good move aimed at preventing flooding, but the government would do well to listen to their cries for help as the best way of handling the lingering issue.

He, however, appealed to the government to put necessary measures in place to aid popular compliance by the traders and other citizens.

When contacted on the phone, the Managing Director, Ocha Brigade, Mr. Celestine Anere, did not answer the call but responded to a whatsapp message with a promise to call back which he never did at the time of filing in the report.

EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU