flooded Ariaria market
Flooding: Abia begins redevelopment of Ariaria market
[From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia]
Abia Government is to embark on a phased redevelopment of Ariaria International market, Aba, to save the market from being destroyed by perennial flooding and save the lives and property of people doing business in the area.
Government said it has been making consultations to redevelop the market for a long time but last Thursday’s flooding of the market strengthened government’s resolve to commence the market’s redevelopment project, with a firm assurance that no shop owner would lose his or her shop when the work is completed.
State Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, said in a statement in Umuahia Saturday, that the Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has approved the commencement of the phased redevelopment of the market which first phase would start on September 5, 2021, with a three-month completion period as shop owners would be handed their new allocation papers for the reconstructed shops by December 5, 2021.
Okiyi said the Ikpeazu administration has made several efforts to reconstruct the 47-year old market in order to tackle its age-long structural issues with many of the shops, as well as provide necessary modern infrastructure to deal with the perennial flooding challenges, particularly with A-Line while delivering other amenities like befitting car parks, conveniences, beautification of the surroundings, improved fire-fighting capacity and such other facilities to our traders.
The Commissioner alleged that a cabal in the market, which has been profiting from its current state, had sought to place unnecessary legal and other obstacles on the path of government’s efforts and had hampered previous attempts at commencing works in the market in April 202.
“In recent days, different social media platforms have been inundated with uncomplimentary videos of flooded A-Line that obviously also endangers traders and shoppers alike while bringing the government into public odium.
“No responsible government will, in the face of such images making the rounds on social media, sit back and watch without taking appropriate actions to deliver the much needed solution as quickly as possible.
“In the interest of overwhelming public good, we are compelled to go ahead with redevelopment efforts in one of the foremost markets in the country,” Okiyi said, explaining that the Governor approved the redevelopment plan after a final consultative meeting with stakeholders of the market on Tuesday, 24th August, 2021, stressing that the redevelopment bas become imperative because of the recent flooding alert from the Nigeria Meteorological Agency, NiMet.
In a six-point resolution reached at that consultative meeting, it was agreed that traders currently doing business along A-Line, C-Line and Medical Line should vacate their shops on or before close of business on Saturday, 4th September, 2021, to enable the commencement of work on Sunday, 5th September, 2021.
Those affected have been directed to temporarily relocate to Ekumi Shopping plaza or other available shops within the market, according to the statement.
Government promised to publish the names of existing shop allottees “who are guaranteed of their return to the reconstructed shops after completion of the first phase. It is important to state that no existing shop allottee will lose his/her shop after the work,” the Commissioner reassured, adding that “Governor Okezie Ikpeazu is expected to personally hand back new allocation papers to all the existing allottees on Friday, 5th December, 2021.”
While work would be ongoing at the Lines affected, trading activities “are expected to continue in other lines that are not affected by the first phase of the redevelopment project,” as the developers, Messrs Blessed Henkel International Company, are expected to work with the market committee and security agents to ensure full security within the market during the period of redevelopment.
“Government wishes to assure traders that it will work to ensure minimal disruptions to trading activities while executing this project,” Okiyi said, but warned that government would not tolerate any form of disruption of the project.
“We will also not in any way tolerate any attempt by any individual or group to disrupt the planned work as we have consulted widely enough and given enough grace period, long before now, for alternative solutions which never yielded any meaningful result.
“We solicit the understanding and support of all Abians as we restate our commitment to delivering a modern market to our people,” the Commissioner said.
