In its bid to ensure free flow of traffic this Christmas and New year celebrations, the Ocha Brigade taskforce, in collaboration with market leaders, embarked on road decongestion in most markets in Anambra State.
At Sokoto market, close to Onitsha Main market, the chairman, Hon. Emeka Mbachu, disclosed that, “I invited Ocha Brigade today to assist me so that everywhere is cleared, Keke blocking the road, hawkers and petty traders trading on the roads will give way. I make sure there is free flow of vehicular movement in the market so that trucks with containers will come and go.
“We cleared the roads today and by the special grace of God, we are going to be doing it everyday to make sure we support our governor in anything concerning government,” he stated.
On sanction for those whose wares are confiscated he said that, “For any seized goods, is #5,000, we go by the governor’s directive that anybody that commits traffic offence will pay “#5,000 fine. Why they will pay the money is because if you don’t sanction them by collecting the money from them, the next day they will come out again and start trading on the road.
“We have been given them notice, just that they all kept deaf ears, even if you tell them, they will still come out, as I am talking to you now, they are back now and we are going again to make sure that the road is cleared,” he lamented.
On touting in the market he said that, “There is no touting in our market, the guy that was set ablaze few days ago with his sibling has been parading himself as a tout for more than seven years now, and I am one of his victims, he took my car battery and did not return it to me despite the money he extorted from me.
“If they collect the motor battery, they will write their name and phone number on the paper for you to call them, then I called them and they refused to bring it, I went to them by myself, he promised to bring it but up till now no way. So, I am one of his victims.
“They are three brothers, two set ablaze and the other one ran away, if not the three would have been set ablaze. If they write that name for you to call them, they will tell you to pay #50,000 in their own bank account, they don’t have office, nobody knows who sent them.
“Government workers have their offices that if they seize your belonging you go to their office to collect it but these touts don’t have. There is one of my customers they seized his battery, he paid #50,000 yet they told him to pay another #50,000 without given him his battery,” he further explained.
Hon. Mbachu who has been assisting the poor, stated that, “I empower some people in the government through one-youth-two skills scheme, even in Ocha Brigade task force, I fixed some there, at times I lecture them to do the right thing that will help them,” he revealed.
He urged traders to always pay for their stallage fees as it is from their that Government provides amenities to the people.
“When revenue agents from Awka came to us on operation show your tax receipt, I first of all showed them my own receipt because chairmen have to live by example before telling people to pay their own tax.
“You have to lead by example, so I support the movement, whoever that did not do well should go, some chairmen if you go to their market the gutters will be very dirty, they will not clear it,” he stated.
In his own contribution on clearing of the roads,, the chairman of Haruna market, Mr Emmanuel Idoko, said that wares of those blocking the roads were confiscated to teach them a lesson.
“We give the confiscated wares back to theirvowners later but with the warning that if they are confiscated again the wares would be handed over to Ocha Brigade at Awka, to be set ablaze. We gave them notice of this seizure of wares before embarking on the operation,” he disclosed.
Also on touting he said that, “There is no tout in our market, they can’t come here because we will arrest them and handover to the state government. Those that were set ablaze didn’t come near our market because we will not allow them.
“I thank Governor Soludo for sacking touts and illegal revenue collectors from the state. Before now those traders from outside the State stopped coming into Onitsha to make purchases but now they come,” he further explained.
Pic shows the Sokoto chairman 2nd Right, clearing roads with Ocha Brigade taskforce. Pic 2. Haruna chairman
