Lilian Ezejiegu
The Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr. Law Mefor, has assured traders at Onitsha Main Market that legitimate shop owners affected by the ongoing remodeling will not lose their spaces once reconstruction is completed.
Speaking to journalists in his office at the Anambra State Secretariat, Dr. Mefor described Onitsha Main Market as a signature project belonging to Ndi Igbo as a whole, not just Ndi Anambra, and a source of collective pride.
He explained that decades of use had left the market severely degraded, with illegal structures springing up across designated parks and even converted toilets, defacing the market’s original master plan and image.
“The illegal structures needed to be removed so that the master image of Onitsha Main Market can be restored. That is what is going on now,” Dr. Mefor said, addressing the ongoing demolition exercise.
He clarified that no trader occupying a legitimate shop would permanently lose that space merely because remodeling required its temporary removal, offering traders a direct personal assurance on the matter.
“This is an assurance that I am giving them,” Dr. Mefor stated, distinguishing legitimate shop owners from those occupying structures illegally built without approval on the market’s premises.
However, he was firm that spaces cleared of illegal structures would not see new buildings return, urging affected occupants to understand and accept this position clearly.
Dr. Mefor appealed for cooperation from traders and Ndi Anambra generally, stressing that regeneration of the market can only be completed successfully with broad public support and patience.
He revealed that Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo hopes to personally shop at a fully remodeled Onitsha Main Market by December this Christmas, a timeline the ministry believes is achievable with cooperation.
The Solution Administration remains committed to restoring Onitsha Main Market’s glory as a commercial heartbeat for Ndi Igbo, reaffirming its dedication to inclusive, people-centered development across Anambra State.
Lilian is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation.
