STATE OF EKEOHA SHOPPING CENTRE: A Disaster Waiting To Consume Innocent Traders, Customers
Disaster of unprecedented proportions looms at the Ekeoha Aba Shopping Centre as the remodeling initiative of the Government of Abia State is being threatened by a section of the traders.
However, due to the negligence by past governments, contractors and other market stakeholders, the market has become a death trap for traders and customers that visit the market on a daily basis
Firstly, the original plan of the market that limits shops to a level above the ground level is no longer existent in the market. Dubious and unprofessional “financiers/ contractors” as they are often called, were known to be going to the state ministry of trade to obtain “approval to construct” structures in the market without supervision. In order to maximize profit, they don’t follow the original plans, but often opt to hang two floors on top of buildings that were originally designed to stand as a single-story building. In other words, they place pillars on existing roof tops to enable additional floors in the market.
It is most worrisome that after building these killer-structures, they allegedly turn around to collect as high as N25M per shop from traders, especially if the building is located along the popular flower lane.
Last year, precisely on 19th July, over 500 traders and customers would have lost their lives from building collapse in the market. A section fell apart in the middle of the night, leaving many to wonder when the Government would be able to do something about the threat these buildings pose to traders and their numerous customers.
A tour around the market shows dilapidated buildings dotting every part of the market with hundreds of traders and buyers in them. Matters are made worse by the fact that these dilapidated buildings are so closely-built that evacuation of victims will be an impossible task should a disaster occur.
In some parts of the market, traders and their customers cannot make or receive calls. This is because the vicinity is not network-friendly. Because of building congestion, the market has low visibility. In an event of fire outback, fire fighters cannot have access to parts of the market.
Recently, the Governor of the state visited Ekeoha Market and promised the traders that he will remodel it to an International Textile Market of repute. However, some of the powerful contractors that delivered the falling structures are kicking against the Governor’s good intentions. They recently sponsored a visit to the ministry of trade to oppose the Governor’s intention to properly rebuild Ekeoha.
As it is at the moment, over 15,000 traders and customers are exposed to the risk of what will be known, if no urgent action is taken, as the biggest and avoidable human catastrophe in the history of Abia since after the civil war. With the rains that have arrived, the inevitability of building collapse might happen anytime again if nothing is done about it.
Some traders in the market, who craved anonymity, welcomed the remodeling initiative, but expressed the fears in the minds of the traders, which include whether the traders whose shops will be affected will be given back their shops after the remodeling, coupled with how much the traders would be made to pay to retain their shops after the remodeling.
The government is, therefore, challenged not to succumb to the blackmail of a group of traders who are kicking against the remodeling. The only thing that can save lives and property of traders and customers is for the present government to muster the political will and carry out the remodeling initiative.
The state of Ekeoha Shopping Centre at the moment is a time bomb waiting to explode. The government should not wait until disaster occurs before taking action.
PHOTOS OF COLLAPSING SHOPS
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