By Jude Atupulazi
The Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, will build street trading centres in Onitsha, Nnewi, Ekwulobia, and other urban and semi-urban areas of the state to provide a solution to issues of street trading all over the state.
The Managing Director, Awka Capital Territory Development Authority, ACTDA, Mr Ossy Onuko, stated this while briefing newsmen during the commissioning of a street trading centre, named, ”Solution Arena”, built by Governor Soludo at Okpuno in Awka South Local Government Area of the state.
According to him, ‘The Solution Arena is a model that we will be replicated in Onitsha, Nnewi, and Ekwulobia, including semi-urban and other urban areas of the state.’
He said the essence of the Solution Arena, which contains 50 open and lockup shops, was to offer a viable alternative to petty traders, who, he said, had turned walkways on the roads into trading corridors.
Mr Onuko stressed the commitment of the Soludo Administration to regenerate and transform Awka Capital City into a world-class urban centre that would be at par with other capital cities in Nigeria and the western World, saying that the government could not afford to have the streets, as well as pedestrian walkways, littered by clusters of uncoordinated petty trading.
The ACTDA boss, who said the Solution Arena initiative was a clear testament to APGA’s ”Onye aghana nwanneya” mantra, explained that the eligibility for owning a shop at the arena required that individuals must have previously been street traders who had been displaced and had subsequently applied for a space in the area.
Earlier, Governor Soludo, during the commissioning ceremony, emphasized that the shops represented a model solution to the problem of street trading. He explained that it was a prototype that would be replicated across various parts of the state.
The street trading centre named “Solution Arena,” features designated spots for fruits and vegetables, grills, and other sundries. Reflecting the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) motto, “Leaving no one behind,” the market spaces were given free of charge to the poorest members of the community. This initiative ensures that the streets remain clean and free of street traders and hawkers, providing a convenient shopping environment for the public.
Governor Soludo commended the Awka Capital Territory Development Authority for her role in bringing the project to fruition and noted that this model would be replicated in several other neighbourhoods to further address the issue of street trading.
Some of the applicants, Maureen Nzediegwu, who spoke to the press, said they paid no dime and expressed gratitude to Governor Soludo for his benevolence.
