As part of effort towards achieving a livable and prosperous homeland, Anambra State Government has removed illegal structures at the Building Materials Market, Ogidi in Idemili North Local Government Area.

 

A joint government task force including officials of the Physical Planning Board embarked on the exercise.

When the ABS arrived at the site, it was observed that additional structures had been attached to the ones already approved by the State government, mostly built on or attached to Enugu Electricity Distribution Company high tension transmission cable poles.

 

According to the Chairman of Anambra State Physical Planning Board, Barrister Chike Maduekwe, the Market, situated along Enugu-Onitsha Expressway is well planned adding that impunity of indiscriminate building of structures cannot be allowed to continue within the market.

Barrister Maduekwe who warned that the Governor Soludo-led administration has zero intolerance for lawlessness and recklessness, tasked well-meaning Ndị Anambra to help the government by obtaining approvals before embarking on any project.

 

He affirmed that the board will continue to enforce development control within the state in accordance with the law of the state and Governor Soludo’s manifesto, stressing that the developers will bear the cost of the demolition exercise or go to jail.

A Staff of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company in charge of compliance and monitoring in the area who spoke to the ABS on the condition of anonymity said that the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company had written to the market leadership to draw its attention to the inherent dangers of building on the high tension, but it remained adamant.

 

He described the action by the state government as commendable and should be sustained.

In a related development, the joint government task force also performed enforcement on a blocked access road at Regina Nwankwu Street, Government Residential Area, Onitsha, where a private developer erected a gate on the access road connecting various buildings.

 

Perimeter fencing was also built by the developer, blocking the gates and leaving the individual houses uninhabited for many years.

 

The joint task force also removed a perimeter fence and building encroaching on government land at Akpaka GRA, Onitsha, among other places.