Speaking during the demolition exercise, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Barrister Chijioke Ojukwu, explained that the exercise is aimed at restoring order and ensuring the free flow of traffic within the market.

Commissioner Ojukwu expressed disappointment with some traders who waited until the commencement of the demolition to evacuate their goods despite being given three separate notices by the Ministry.

He warned that residents must learn to obey the law and comply with government directives, while urging them to support the government's efforts to rebuild the state.

Earlier, officials of the Ministry demolished two lock-up shops illegally attached to both sides of an iconic building along New Market Road, Onitsha, where Barrister Ojukwu warned developers against illegal construction, stressing that the Soludo administration would not tolerate developments that undermine the state's urban regeneration agenda, endanger lives or threaten the environment.

In an interview, the President-General of the Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association (ASMATA), Chief Humphrey Anuna, confirmed that the state government had widely publicised the demolition exercise before its commencement, commending Governor Chukwuma Soludo for his commitment to repositioning all sectors of the state's economy through proactive leadership.