By Okey Maduforo Awka.
The rumoured conspiracy against the Onitsha South local government Chairman Chief Emeka Joseph Orji by alleged politicians at Government House Awka got to it’s climax this weekend when the Secretary to the State Government Prof Solo Chukwulobwlu clashed with the Secretary of Onitsha South local government area Mr Paul Onuachalla over the selling and encroachment on government land by the Nigerian Breweries in the area.
This is coming as Gov Charles Soludo has given traders and dealers on rods along Portharcourt road by Misselems street three months ultimatum to relocate to their permanent site at Ntege in Oyi local government area or face forceful eviction.
Trouble started when Soludo in company of the Council officials and some members of the Executive Council were on inspection of the ….roads recently completed by the state government.
At the small building materials market blocking the walk way Soludo asked why the brewing company encroached on government land close to the major road and the SSG told the governor that that the Onitsha South Chairman may have rented the land to the company and the Special Adviser to the governor on Markets Mr Everest Uba re echoed the same and suggested that, Onitsha South may have rented the space.
Apparently angered by the submissions of the duo the Secretary to the local government Council Mr Paul Onuachalla shouted at the SSG and the Special Adviser contending that it is not true and that they were lying.
“No! No ! this is not true and this is totally fallacious how can this happen without recourse to my office as the Secretary to the local government? ”
“I am the Secretary to the Council and it falls within my office to be aware of that before such actions would be taken and that is how people go about spreading falsehood everywhere just to seek undue relevance”
“Your Excellency the land in question was taken over forcefully by the brewing company and we have tried without end to recover the land but some people who are benefiting from it have been frustrating the Council”
“We have been receiving negative publicity over our attempt to recover public spaces taken by the Nigerian Breweries and e cannot suffer double Jeopardy at this point.
Even when security operatives tried to stop him the crescendo of his voice got higher and it took the intervention of Gov Soludo who turned round and shook the Secretary”s hands acknowledging his defence for the Council.
After the inspection Gov Soludo handed down a three months ultimatum to the dealers on rods to vacate the area and relocate to their permanent site at Ntege our face the wrath of government.
According to Soludo;
“As you can see this a newly completed road with walk wats where pedestrians make use of and you can’t block that walk way with your goods because it is not meant for that ”
“We cannot construct roads and you destroy them and this is tax payers money and my administration would not allow that to happen so you are given three months to relocate to your site at Ntege and when you fail to do so we shall bring in government power to relocate you all but I believe that you are all law abiding citizens and that it would not get to that point” he said.
