The Oyigbo Local Council boss, Hon. Prince Gerald Oforji (JP) has commended the people and residents of Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State for their impressive turnout during the August 2019 monthly environmental sanitation exercise in the area.
He stated this in a chat with newsmen shortly after monitoring the exercise in the area over the weekend.
The council boss was particularly grateful to the Caretaker Committee chairman of the Eke Oyigbo Ultra Modern Market, Mr. Ugochukwu Ohagwa for mobilizing his members in collaboration with volunteers and security agents to ensure the success of the exercise.
According to him, “We had planned for this combine operation long time ago and instructed everybody on this strategy. We actually asked them to rake out the debris and bag them ready for the pay loaders and tippers for easy evacuation to the dump-site, and it worked like magic,” he said.
Hon. Oforji equally commended the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike for having the political will power to set up the Task Force on street trading, illegal motor parks and markets, adding that the committee has indeed transformed the five (5) local government areas of Ikwerre, Obio/Akpor, Port Harcourt, Eleme and Oyigbo within the short period it has existed and thanked the people of these areas for their compliance.
“The policy worked like a magic. Nobody would have believed that Eke Oyigbo Market area particularly which used to defy every effort would record such tremendous success both for the stubborn street traders, the blocked gutters and the road traffic congestion. Everybody participated happily in the exercise,” he declared.
The council chairman, expressed disgust on the situation which he noted, everybody wants to be a trader and at the same time wants to sample his/her goods anywhere on the street turning blind eyes on the nuisance their action is causing the other road users or the esthetic condition of the state.
In a tacit reference to the unprovoked killings of his Oyigbo people by some hoodlums from Khana local government area of Rivers State, Hon. Oforji said Oyigbo people are considered the most peaceful local government in Rivers State and would wish to maintain their status but warned that they should not be taken for granted as they can also sting if provoked.
He however used the opportunity to appeal to Oyigbo people and residents to remain calm and peaceful, admitting that the leaders might not have met their expectations but that they are desperately working round the clock towards improving the situation.
Also speaking, the CTC chairman of Eke Oyigbo Ultra Modern Market, Mr. Ugochukwu Ohagwa used the opportunity to thank the council chairman for the chance given his committee to contribute their own quota.
He promised that with the effective collaboration of the Rivers State Government Task Force his committee would make a mark with their given mandate.
“My committee is indeed working towards impressing the local government administration, by the expiration of our first three (3) months mandate we shall attract the renewal of our mandate which is to sanitize the markets and unify all the warring factions, and make the traders ready for election of new exco.
He also disclosed that efforts geared towards locating the street traders to the free zone of the market is in progress in order to decongest the main road.
It would be recalled that the Oyigbo council chairman, Hon. Prince Oforji last month constituted and inaugurated the committee with the mandate to make the market conducive for the conduction of an election into the market union soonest.
Members of the inaugurated CTC included Mr. Oguchukwu Ohagwa, Chairman; Mr. Alex Anyanwu, Secretary; Mr. Favour Okoro, Treasurer; Pastor Dickson Emeduo, Fin Sec; and Mr. Kingsley Udemba, PRO. Others were Mrs. Agnes Agoha, Member; Mr. Chukwudi Paul Obieshi, Member; Mr. Jeremiah Promise, Member; and Mr. Chidi Ibeneto, Member.
