Anambra State Government over the weekend, commenced the cleaning up of parts of Onitsha Industrial Harbour Layout in response to the distress call by residents and owners of industries in the Habour.
The operation led by the Commissioner for Transport, Mr Uchenna Okafor and the Chairman, Anambra State Physical Planning Board, Barr Chike Maduekwe was carried out by officials of the Ministry and Board, men of the Nigerian Navy, the Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra, OCHA Brigade, the Ogbaru Local Government Disciplinary Task Enforcement Agency among others.
It witnessed the removal of movable and immovable trucks that block an 8-lane drive in the residential part of the habour, desilting of blocked drainages, removal of shanties, cleaning of faeces all over the place and erection of a sandbag point for Men of the Nigerian Navy to oversee the security of the area.
The Commissioner for Transport, Mr Okafor said the unchecked activities of the drivers of articulated trucks in the harbor had resulted in negative security, environmental and social issues for inhabitants, adding that the operation speaks volume of Governor Obiano’s commitment to the welfare of the people.
"You can see that a well planned estate has been bastardized as a result of the activities of these lorry drivers. We are removing all the shanties in this place, desilting the drainages, towing away immobile vehicles to ease this road of the mess caused by the drivers", he said.
On his part, the Chairman of the State Physical Planning Board, Barr Maduekwe revealed that the Navy team will also undertake 24-hour patrol of the entire area, warning the drivers not to test the resolve of government to restore sanity to the entire place.
His words, "What want to achieve is absolute sanity in this Industrial Harbour and that's the essence of this cleaning up exercise. We have reports that about 8 unidentified bodies have been picked up here and this is totally unacceptable for a state like Anambra that prides itself as the safest in the country. With the presence of the Nigerian Navy here, we intend to sustain uninterrupted surveillance of the entire place."
Barr Maduekwe assured people living and working in the harbor that with what government intends to do with the recovered area, their security is guaranteed.
Some of the truck drivers, Mr Sunday Nwokocha and Mr Emeka Odunze noted that they are willing to comply with government’s directive but pleaded that they be allowed to still park in an orderly manner in the harbor as it will be very difficult for them to operate from elsewhere when their place of business is the harbor layout.
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