Anambra Council Chairman Commences Govt Land Recovery, Lists Achievements In One Year

By Julie Sylvia, Onitsha

In his bid to recover government land/properties that were illegally acquired, the caretaker committee chairman of Onitsha South Local Government Area, Anambra State, Hon. Emeka Orji, Monday, commenced with recovery of government land at Modebe/Iweka junction which was encroached upon by traders/landlords there, that resulted in narrowing of the area to the discomfort of road users.

He made this disclosure at Local Government Secretariat Fegge while fielding questions from newsmen on his achievements within his one year in office as an appointed council chairman.

Listing other achievements, he said that the council Secretariat complex was being german floored even as he recalled that on his assumption of office the secretariat was like a child’s play ground.

“Also we have introduced one-way drive system in most of the busy streets in Onitsha South, we are still moving towards Main market/bida road, we have finished with Bridgehead area down to Upper Iweka, it is one of our agenda.

“Most of the square roads we have, like Mbonu Ojike/Uzodimma, Uzodimma/ Nkrumah, Orlu/Arondizuogu, behind Fegge stadium, we have ongoing projects there, beautiful green garden as the governor said, creek road by Odumeje junction, we are building a new area there, which will serve as the statue of Otigba, (a man beating drum) and I want to rename the area to Otigba junction.

“Modebe/Iweka, there was land encroachment by landlord and traders, and I discovered last week that the place is government land over the years, so before the arrival of governor last Saturday, I have demolished the place and reclaimed it, we want to clear it and construct another green area,” he further disclosed.

On assistance towards education upliftment in the area, he stated that he has visited the whole schools In Onitsha South and has reports of what they needed, pointing out that almost all of them needed boreholes.

“Metu Memorial Secondary School has one dangerous building that is licking water, Christ the king(CKC) is organised but they lack teachers, then in Urban Girls Secondary School, I need to fix one of their buildings, by September, I want to build General hospital at Urban Boys Secondary School Fegge and the school will be relocated to Ugbolimiri, Housing Estate, Fegge.

” We are trying to construct a new play ground at Silas works road, at the former Health center which was encroached upon, it is a government land, I want to use it to build playground for our children.

All the same, drainages are being cleared, flood is a thing of the past, I did palliative work on december last year on all the bad roads in Onitsha South and i will use demolished stones from the Ochanja market to fix the bad roads. I have written to Mr governor on those roads to know what he can do.

“Odigbo section of Ochanja market was demolished because the system is not conducive, you cannot read receipt there at noon day, they used touch in the afternoon, I decided to develop it, I want to make it conducive more especially for those widows, women, not the men that used upstairs for parking. These women need to be pampered, they are asking me to come and demolish all of them but I said no,I want to use Odigbo as a case study.

“Marine market is a government land which was given out to traders by former Governor Chris Ngige to construct butchers after the fire outbreak at onitsha main market then, most of them relocated there for emergency start.

“Onitsha residents believe that money can do everything, they go to Awka, lobby them and got C of O, authority to build things, I know how much they offer me when I came for demolition, this demolition I did in Onitsha South affected my father’s property, I demolished my father’s house too, people that build on government land, on drainages, I don’t spear them, 2nd of August was my one year in office, I want my projects to celebrate me,” he disclosed

According to him there is light now in Onitsha South, as today is better than yesterday, said that as long as he remains the council boss, he would not relent in bringing his childhood environment back to life.

” I know I will not finish it but I pray that the person that will succeed me will continue from where I stopped, I have already started it, to finish the work in this Onitsha South will not take 1,2,3 or 4 years, it is a continuous thing, it takes more than a mad man to be Onitsha South Local Government chairman and have the heart to demolish shops, it is not easy.

“Everybody knews that Mr Soludo is doing very well, he came in penniless, the state treasury was 300 million and he tackled insecurity, he employed 5000 teachers, he is cleaning up every where, every local government has 2,3,3,4,5 on going road constructions.

“In Onitsha South, he is constructing Niger street, Moore street, Iweka road-fly-over, Zik’s avenue (Ochanja roundabout)-Ozomagala, Zik’s avenue/ Creek road, Silas works-Express road, Port Harcourt road from Niger street going to fly-over, Miss Elems is coming up and so many of them.

“This is only in Onitsha South, our governor is a magician for doing all these projects, other capital projects are sky rocketing at every Local Government Area. Coconut palm trees, within five years, the state will be leading in palm production,” he affirmed.