Dan Opara
The General Manager of Owerri Capital Development Authority, OCDA,Imo State, Hon.Chimdi Ejiogu,on Tuesday, Sept.19th 2019,at his Owerri office, expressively told newsmen, that his authority did not lock up the Alaba International Market Owerri, or any other market as allegedly rumoured and propelled by some traders.
Speaking, the GM of OCDA made the above assertion when some cross section of journalists stormed his office, asking for clarification over the supposed market lock up.
Hear him, “I am a strong advocate of reality but as pressmen,you have the obligations to deal with facts before your publications. Find out the main reality, the real truth and then feed the public with junks, garbages or big truths. Your duties as media is to propagate the truth”, the GM advised.
He disclosed that OCDA did not lock up any market in Alaba as they complained, rather some buildings were erected without official building permit/approval,even as he insisted that most of the approval were not legal.
” We have discovered that only few out of over 200 buildings erected at Alaba Market Areas have legal, ranging from the three major groups namely: “General Goods, Automobile Spare parts and the Electronics”. The General Goods complained against the blockaged by the Auto-Spare Parts Group in the market due to their alleged failure to comply in making space for entry and exit in the market”,Hon.Ejiogu.
He more so described the incidents at the market as a human factors.
The GM therefore commended the Landlords in the area for their cooperation but appealed to them to ensure they obtain their building approval from OCDA.
He insisted that the authority must see their building permit to avoid further collapsing of structures.
The GM advised the tenants (Alaba traders) to pressurise their land lords to cooperate with OCDA for the general interest,even as he called on the traders to have patience.
” We are embarking on integrity test on those buildings to avoid collapse of buildings in the State. We are very poised to certify the government plans. Our business is the ensure quality structures and an approval must be ascertain”,the GM submitted.
All the efforts tried to communicate any of the leaders of the traders to get their own version proved abortive as at the press time.
