Ogbaru Main Market Sends SOS To Soludo Over Erosion Menace As Damaged Portion Of Sakamori Degenerates
By Polycarp Ifeanyi, Onitsha
As damaged Sakamori crossing behind the fence of Ogbaru Main Market, near Onitsha Anambra State continue to degenerate, traders at the Market have sent Save Our Souls (SOS) message to the Governor of Anambra State, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo to rescure them from erosion menace.
Traders disclosed that the collapsed portion of the Sakamori was caused by this year’s early rainfall, worsening the already damaged portion of the same Sakamori which they had been battling with over the years.
The SOS message captioned,”Erosion Menace In Ogbaru Main Market: Who Will Hear Our Voice” was signed by the President General of the Market, Chief Ndubuisi Ochiogu and the Assistant Secretary, Chief Bucknor Agu.
It was made available to Journalists in Onitsha and copied to; Anambra State Chief of Staff, Federal Ministry of works, Awka, Anambra State House of Assembly and Special Adviser to Professor Soludo on trade, commerce and industry.
The traders stated that Ogbaru Main Market is in dire stress of erosion for some years now, pointing out that countless efforts and messages have been put across severally to relevant authorities but to no avail, urging Governor Soludo to come to their aide.
According to the traders, 22 shops have already been lost to midnight rainfalls, while goods worth hundreds of millions of Naira have been washed away by flood. They also said security wall of the market has collapsed while hundreds of shops were engulfed by erosion.
Traders disclosed that the Sakamori channel connecting Upper Iweka and Owerri Road by pass through their Market fence down to River Niger has been dilapidated thereby causing constant collapse and paved way for erosion inside their market.
“At the last count, Ogbaru Main Market is seriously endangered as erosion caused by the damaged Sakamori has posed serious gully erosion site like that of popular” Nanka Gully Erosion site.
It is time to save Ogbaru Main Market before the entire market would be engulfed by erosion. Our President General had been trying on his own little way to curtal the menace but it has degenerated to a full scale gully erosion”
In another development, the Ogbaru LG All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) party led by Pastor Onochie Obiora in their recent visit to the market and scene of the damaged Sakamori, promised to draw the attention of the Government to the damaged Sakamori.
The promise contained in the commendation statement through APGA ApostleMedia, Media Gladiator Ogbaru to the President general of the Market, Chief Ndubuisi Ochiogu reads;
“Today, I strongly believe that Anambra Government has not intervened but, we are still expecting Solution Intervention. Currently, Chief Ndubuisi Ochiogu had not relented in doing the needful to check mate and curb the effect of erosion across the Market territory which if neglected will cause billions of Naira damage to the Market”
“Thank you Ochiogu, we will continue to ask for government attention to our rescue because the project and heavy flow of erosion across the axis is too much. All thanks to Chief Ndubuisi Ochiogu, Chairman Ogbaru Main Market for his unstoppable commitment to serve and protecting the interest of the Market.”
