The long stretch of the recently reconstructed Niger Street in Onitsha, the commercial nerve centre of Anambra State and Eastern region of Nigeria, is home to over 300 shanties and makeshift shops located on top of the walkway across the stretch of Onitsha beach.
It is a bad sight to behold as it presents an unattractive look to the new landscape and picturesque nature of the newly reconstructed Niger Street. That is not the only bad spot creating concern for people and the state government.
Looking far into the River Niger, almost more than 500 metres to the banks of the river, is also a slump that is populated by the Hausa community. Besides the shanties, are long abandoned boats that are also source of worries to the people because of the security risk that they present.
What makes these sights sources of worries to the people is the activities that go on unchecked, with street urchins and other criminal elements who have turned the place to criminal and dreadful den of some sorts. Just for the records, the shanties are homes to drug peddlers such as sellers and users of different hard drugs and substances as well as India hemp, and ladies of easy virtues.
Different cartels also operate in these shanties and sometimes resulting to infighting as they each fight for supremacy and control of activities. The state Governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, who recently went on inspection tour of the completed road project was levied with anger and couldn’t hide his angst at the scene that greeted him on this fateful.
Governor’s visit
He was visibly displeased by the sight and what the long stretch of walkway has been turned into. He raised questions and also bared his fangs as he expressly read the riot act and directed the immediate demolition of all the shanties and illegal structures elected on the walkway and the beach site.
“What is going on here?’’ queried Soludo. ‘‘This place is supposed to be a walkway for pedestrians and not for shops and parking of vehicles,” declared the governor to no one particular.
The governor then turned his attention to the shops at the banks of River Niger and sought to know from his entourage who were responsible for the construction. He was told that the shops are constructed by the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).
He was angered by this response and thundered, “The code or bye laws establishing NIWA gave the organisation 100 metres from the bank of the River Niger as right of easement but what we are seeing here are illegal structures and should be demolished.” Following this discovering, the governor ordered the Chairman of Onitsha South Local Government Area, Chief Emeka Joseph Orji, to demolish the structures the next day.
Demolition exercise
What happened after the governor and his entourage left the scene could be described as dramatic following the turn of events. The LGA chairman against the order of the governor decided to give the shop owners one week grace to remove their goods before the demolition.
As it is customary with Nigerians especially traders and owners of illegal structures, they took for granted the one week notice of the chairman and carried on with business as usual, refusing to evacuate their properties from the shops and shanties.
However, precisely on the expiration of the one week notice, the scene was stormed by heavy bulldozers as early as 7.30am on the fateful Monday, ready to demolition anything in sight as directed by the governor earlier. Confusion and pandemonium took over the scene as the traders and inhabitants of the community hurriedly tried to move out their goods and other valuables.
By 6pm, the demolition across the expanse of land spanning over two hectares of land, was still ongoing. Affected by the demolition exercise were about five big plazas and other make shift shops and shades used by the traders and those that have illegally taken up residence in the walkway.
According to sources, over N5 billion goods were saved from being destroyed as some of the traders were lucky enough to remove out their goods and other values while the demolition lasted.
What could have turned out to be a costly situation and even caused disaffection among the people was arrested by the quick intervention by some of the people that prevented the bulldozers from bringing down the mosque that was erected alongside some of the shops. Following the protest and appeal by the Hausa community, the chairman gave them another one week of grace to relocate the mosque otherwise it would be demolished after the expiration of the one week notice.
Intervention
Despite the one week extension, the mosque was eventually demolished on the day alongside others. This was because of the intervention of the leader of the Hausa community, Alhaji Ishawu Imam, who ordered the immediate demolition of the mosque since other structures on the site have been demolished.
Imam, whose father is the Sariki of the Hausa community in Onitsha, expressed appreciation to the council chairman for the kind consideration and fair treatment of his people in respect of the demolition exercise.
He pledged the commitment of the Hausa community resident in the state to the government of Soludo while applauding his efforts at enthroning good governance and infrastructure development in the state. Mr Ebeh Ngonadi, a businessman in Onitsha, was grateful to God for not losing his investment as he was billed to pay over N20 million for a piece of land at the beach the day after the demolition exercise.
He noted that if he had made the payment, he would had eventually lost his money and that could have resulted in either his dead or hospitalisation as he could not have been able to cope with the loss as there was no way of his money be refunded to him after payment.
Reasons for demolition
The Chairman of Onitsha South Local Government Area, Chief Emeka Joseph Orji during the demolition offered extensive explanation why it has to be done. According to him, “When I was sworn in as council chairman last year, I came here and issued them notice to move out and the notice was followed by series of follow up notices but they remained adamant.
“Then last week Mr Governor came here and told them that this place is not for shops or market and ordered me to demolish the area but I gave them another one week notice which ended today.”
With the walkway and beach have now be cleared, Orji disclosed that the entire stretch of land will now be turned into a beautiful and attractive landscape for tourism, with plans to build a resort, amusement and green park area for relaxation by the people.
“Everywhere cannot be market in Onitsha and we have declared war on illegal structures and we shall ensure that the right thing is done about building collapse in Onitsha South Local Government Area,” he said. The Onitsha beach, according to the building plans of Soludo, is to have a green lawn with trees planted therein and investors would be invited to establish bars and lounges as well as eateries and other relaxation facilities in order to make it a full leisure spot for the people.
Glorious days of Onitsha beach
Pa Ebele Maduka, aged 68, recalled with nostalgia the glorious days of the beach in the 1970s and 1980s, when it was fun to visit the beach mostly at weekends. “We used to swim from Nwangene River down to the River Niger and back as the entire area was open and local sailors come here to anchor and discharge their goods,’’ he recalled. Saying, “It wasn’t a market per say but a kind of habour where traders and dealers on food stuffs would wait for their goods, offload them and take them to the main market to sell and there were no shops here then.
“It was clean and only food vendors and liquor dealers come here to do business and families would frequent this place as a recreation centre and at the end of the day everyone would go home including the vendors.”
Also speaking on the beautiful past, Mrs MaryAnn Udechukwu, 57 years old, recalled that there were no shanties or houses or even residential buildings as it were today before the demolition exercise but mechanic workshops for the repair and maintenance of boats.
“Boats from Kogi State, and Asaba in Delta State would come in here for repairs and maintenance and even white men that were carrying out road construction also come here to relax but today we have lost everything.”.
