Okey Sampson, Aba
This is not the best of times for traders of Asa Nnentu Auto Spare Parts Market in Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia State.
On February 1, the state government let loose bulldozers which roared into the market and the fly over end of Port Harcourt Road, and at the end of the visit which lasted for hours, shops, stores and other structures along the areas were levelled to the ground with the traders gnashing their teeth.
Asa Nnentu Auto Spare Parts Market is one of the largest auto spareparts markets in the country built over 20 years ago to help free Clifford and School roads which hitherto served as auto spare parts market in Aba.
Over time, the market like an over-blown balloon left its original master plan to push into the adjoining Port Harcourt road, which is currently under reconstruction.
For the state government, the demolition of shops and houses along the adjoining Port Harcourt Road which were tagged illegal structures was based on two planks – one, they must give way for the expansion of the entrance of the road which is the major gateway to Port Harcourt, and secondly, to restore the master plan of the market in particular and that of the entire city of Aba in general.
It was, however, said that the government had a year ago served the traders notice of its intent to demolish the structures, but many of them did not take it seriously.
Thus, when on Thursday, February 1, the rampaging bulldozers came on “attack”, on sighting the heavy-duty machines, there was panic as the traders who initially doubted the seriousness of the government to demolish the structures, began fruitless efforts to move their wares to safe locations to avoid being destroyed.
But many never succeeded as their goods together with what used to be their shops were reduced to rubbles.
One of the traders, Tochukwu, whose shop is located inside the Mgbuka section (parts disassembling section) said he was not surprised at what happened in the market even as he sympathized with the affected traders.He could not fathom the utterances of some people he described as the indigenous people of the land which tend to make developmental moves by government seem like victimization on settlers.
“I know this thing will happen. I’m not surprised at all. Although the timing is wrong, I pity those affected, but I have a problem with what some indigenous people were saying and are still saying. Some of them kept sending wrong messages to people since the demolition exercise, making it look as though the governor is doing this to hurt sellers who do business here.
“My younger brother was affected and he’s currently devastated. He recently paid for the shop and he’s just a young man and fresh in the business. Someone was laughing at him during the demolition. Can you imagine such act of wickedness? I’m not against development because we have all been calling for it anyway, but people should apply caution the way they talk,” he noted.
Another trader who gave his name as Udeh accused the Ugwunagbo Local Government of being responsible for the plight of the traders.
He said it was the council that gave approval for the building of shops in the affected areas, adding that they collect rents and other fees yearly from the traders, yet when the bulldozers came, they were nowhere to plead the cause of the traders.
“The greed of officials of the local government is the problem we have here. They collected money and gave approval for the erection of the shops and the traders pay them rent and other fees annually. Even when the state government gave notice for the demolition, these local government officials kept assuring us that nothing will happen until it happened.
“Even some people who claimed to be local government officials came this January and collected money from traders whose shops were marked for demolition, assuring them that they know the people in charge, that they are their brothers whom they can easily ask to forget about the demolition exercise. Now, have you seen any of them coming here to claim ownership of the shops and said they should not be demolished?
All they know is to collect money and give approval for erection of shops even in their own backyard.
“It’s a pity. I must tell you, the traders have been seriously dealt with, but I pray that government will be serious with the reconstruction of the Port Harcourt road otherwise the traders might be forced to think there was different motive behind the demolition,” he said.
However, a member of the demotion team who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the demolition was long overdue.
“ Previous governments may have condoned it, but any man who knows the Aba master plan or the initial plan of this expressway and Portm Harcourt road knows that all buildings here should end where this Diamond Bank ended.
“People go to Uyo, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Asaba and Enugu to enjoy life. When they return here, they tell you Aba is a terrible place. They make mockery of even the owners of the land as the reason behind the bad roads and unkempt condition of Aba city. Today, someone wants to change that, but the same people are now saying he’s harsh,” he said.
He disclosed that the exercise would continue until the master plan was restored.