Okey Maduforo Over 100 shops have been shut down and thirty street hawkers arrested by the Operation Keep Clean and Healthy Anambra aka OCHA Brigade.
This is a result of the enforcement carried out by the body recently which according to the body is aimed at ensuring a clean and healthy environment in the area.
The Managing Director of Ocha Brigade, Mr Celestine Anere disclosed that they have arrested 30 people violating hawking and trading laws of the state and shut down almost 100 shops at the popular Eke Awka market.
Anere who led the operation on Thursday evening said the state government will no longer tolerate street traders who block roads and shop owners who keep their environment dirty.
“We are here this evening to decongest streets and stop hawkers and traders from blocking access roads for motorists to ply on the roads. We are tired of begging them not to trade on the main roads ” he said.
According to him, what they are doing is arresting persons who hawk on the Streets and confiscating their goods, noting that they must set the streets free from blockage by traders.
He said that, while clearing the street traders, they discovered that drainages were filled to the brim and caused flooding during rain.
“The control of flooding in this place is simple, what we need is just to distil the drainage to allow water to flow freely.
“Our intention is to distil the drainage from Eke Awka to Amawabia bypass both sides and Agu Awka. We know this task will not be easy but we must get it right because the solution is here. The governor is serious about clean and healthy Anambra and it is the duty of Ocha Brigade to get it done ” he said.
He also said that they are happy that the traders have started complying with the distilling order, noting that their shops would be opened immediately after evidence of serious commitment.
The MD also stated that those who built on drainage and waterways are being compelled to dismantle and allow water to flow freely.
“We closed the shops because their shops were dirty, the distilling laws of Anambra State made it clear that you must keep your environment clean and clean gutters. Based on these laws, we are compelling the shop owners to distil and keep their surroundings clean. We will continue to close their shops until they fully comply” he said.
Speaking to Newsmen, during the operation, the Chairman of St Mary Traders Association, Mr Obinna Umeh said they have problems in clearing the drainage in their area.
According to him, they have cleared the drainage three times within the years and immediately after clearing the drainage, it will be filled again because of tunnel closure.
He said that there are closed tunnels in the area which need to be opened to allow water to flow freely and he appealed to the governor to help open the tunnel.
According to him, the government ought to open the tunnel, noting that it is only when the tunnel is open that their distilling can be effective.
