By Izunna Okafor, Awka
It was a dramatic scene and panicking moment in part of Anambra State over the week, as scores of street traders hurriedly abandoned their wares and fled as officials of the Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra (OCHA Brigade) stormed major markets and trading locations with a fresh enforcement exercise against illegal street trading and environmental violations.
The operation, which covered Ogidi, Afor Igwe Umunnachi, Oye Agu Abagana and Nkpor among others, saw the enforcement personnel of the agency dismantling illegal structures, clearing obstructed public spaces and confiscating goods displayed in unauthorised locations.
The exercise targeted traders who displayed their goods on roads, road shoulders, walkways and other public spaces in contravention of the state’s environmental and urban management regulations.
The enforcement team also demolished illegal shanties and makeshift structures erected along roadsides and other restricted areas, saying they constituted environmental nuisances and impeded the free movement of motorists and pedestrians.
According to the Brigade, the exercise forms part of the Anambra State Government’s sustained efforts to restore sanity in public places, improve environmental cleanliness and ensure safer and more orderly communities across the state.
The agency further explained that indiscriminate street trading and illegal structures not only obstruct traffic and pedestrian movement but also contribute to environmental degradation and pose safety risks to residents.
It stressed that the enforcement exercise would be sustained and extended to other parts of the state as part of the government’s determination to uphold environmental standards and preserve public infrastructure.
The Brigade, therefore, advised traders and business owners to operate only within approved markets and designated trading areas, warning that anyone who continues to display goods on roads, drainages, walkways or other unauthorised public spaces would be sanctioned in accordance with the laws of Anambra State.
The agency further appealed to residents to cooperate with government officials by complying with existing environmental regulations, noting that the success of the exercise depends largely on public support and commitment to building a cleaner, safer and more orderly Anambra.
