Semi Street malls, gigantic warehouses, exotic shops are currently making life uncomfortable for the residents of Aba, the commercial hub of South East, Nigeria.
Many are wondering why old residential buildings are been sold, knocked down and replaced with semi malls, halls, warehouses and various business centre.
The city centre which stretches from Aba South to Aba North Local Government Areas, is gradually becoming non-residential to the chagrin of those who knew what it used to be. It shocks many that residents of a city with over eight major markets and over 30 minor markets are being displaced, as businesses threaten residential homes.
With major markets like Ariaria International Market, Eziukwu Road Market, Ahia-Ohuru, Ekeoha Shopping Centre, Ehere Market, Uratta Integrated Market, Alaoji Spare Parts Market and Orie-Ohabiam, one wonders why streets of Aba are turning into markets on daily basis.
Mr. Lambert Ahukanna, who said he is a victim of the situation, told News Echo that the poor town planning system, greediness among landlords and lack of will power from Abia State government are the causative factors of the problem.
He said, “It is unfortunate that people who cannot plan anything are busy destroying what the colonial government, old Eastern Nigeria and the old Imo State left for them. This Aba Town you’re seeing was given the same design as Calabar.
“The British planned the city perfectly that’s why you see that from Howell Crescent, stretching out from Aba Town Hall, through Asa road axis, move from Milverton Avenue down to School road have the same line of buildings. No one is beyond the other.
“However, immediately Mbakwe’s administration left and Abia was created, the first thing we started seeing from 1991 till today is a total backwardness from proper planning. They started with the selling of sanitary lanes to traders to use and erect shops.
“You can own a house in Aba while your sanitary lane belongs to another man which government sold it to. I have suffered the effect of the reckless erection of warehouses and semi business malls all over our streets.
“I used to reside at St Michael’s, but when that peaceful street suddenly became a phone market less than five years of GSM coming into Nigeria, many have to run away. Rooms turned to shops, as landlords started increasing rents recklessly.
“Buildings were knocked down and converted to malls. Today, go to St Michael’s road by 7:30pm, it’s like a ghost town because by that time, phones, and computer accessories sellers have all gone home living that beautifully planned residential areas desolate.”
Nze Chrysogonus Ezeibe said the situation in Aba has further exposed the recklessness of the current South East leaders, whom he said never learnt anything from the likes of Nnamdi Azikiwe, Michael Okpara, Akanu Ibiam and Sam Mbakwe.
“Are you seeing what’s happening at Etche road? In the next five years I doubt if there will be up to 10 residential homes there. Traders at Ahia-Ohuru are buying every old building and converting them into warehouses.
“Abia State government is watching this massive relocation of residents from these well planned urban areas without any action simply because they are generating more revenue from these traders.
“Now, do you know why warehouses, shops and what people call small malls are not springing up in areas like Over-Rail, Ogbor-Hill, Osisioma and Asa-Nnetu axis where there are spaces? The answer is bad roads and insecurity.
“Yes, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu is working on roads, but he’s only recovering abandoned roads within the city centre. No new roads are springing up. Areas like Umuode, Umuojima, Umuchichi, Umuogele, Umunkama, Owerri-Aba, Mkpukpuevula where most people bought lands and built houses, aren’t really secured currently because majority of those areas aren’t policed.
“No good roads, no security. Rich traders in Ariaria will prefer knocking down buildings at Faulks road, Power-Line, Old Express, Samek and Imo Avenue rather than moving into areas trailers and large vans cannot enter. It is the same situation at school road where Cemetery Market traders are chasing residents away.”
Aaron Ike lambasted the Aba South LGA, Aba North LGA and Osisioma Ngwa LGA Town Planning Authorities for the situation, stressing that they know nothing asides collecting money from those erecting new structures.
“Why do we have flooding in Ariaria today? Is it not because someone watched traders erect shops on top of drainages? Go to Ariaria drug mart and see with your eyes.
“It is a pity that Abia government and their worthless Town Planning Authorities will watch the recklessness going on in Aba.
“Now see the disgusting trends; Pound road, a well planned residential area is now a market for refrigerator, kitchen utensils, and gas cylinder sellers. St. Michael’s road is now a market for phones and computer accessories;
“Hospital road is now markets for patent medicine dealers, electrical materials dealers, Hausa businesses and tricycle dealers. Jubilee road is now market for spare parts, chair designing clothes and wrappers.
“Cameroun road, Tenant road, Market road are now markets for beverages, packaged foodstuffs and provisions. Clifford road and School road are now spare parts markets as well while Cemetery Market has also encroached on School road heavily.
“Do you know that Abia State government while demonstrating its hatred for education had to give half of the land of the prestigious School road primary school to traders to continue to expand Cemetery Market?
“They also did the same at Township School and City Primary School where governor Ikpeazu gave away the two school’s football pitches and staff quarters to his church, the Seventh Day Adventist Church at No 1 school road to take as their property.
“The church is thanking him every day for the gift and praying about it without considering that they’ve denied children of poor people in those two schools their extra-curricular activities which are part of learning.”
Pa Wilberforce Okereke, a landlord at Jubilee road, got annoyed with our reporter who tried to ask him why all the rooms in his bungalow building have become shops for tailors, parking store for engine oil and people doing all kinds of businesses.
“I didn’t chase the tenants out, I waited for their monies to expire, when it did, I brought in those traders you’re complaining that are using the place vacated by my old tenants. They gave me a better offer.
“Those traders and tailors are still making use of it and I don’t know why this is a problem to those who told you about it. Do you have a problem with that? Is it your house?
“Nobody is disturbing me not even government. So, if an ordinary tenant is offering me N48, 000-N50, 000 for a room per annum and a trader is offering N85, 000-N100, 000 to park his goods there, I should say no that it’s a residential home?
“Can you do it if you were me? See, this is business. No building is designated residential. Anything can happen in a building. What matters is the offer.
“I suffered to build my entire house and as far as I’m concerned, I didn’t borrow money from anybody to build them not even government.
“The particular house you’re talking about has over 20 rooms and I’m using it to take care of myself. I live here and traders use the other part for their businesses. Their noise is not disturbing me. I’m okay with it,” he stressed.
News Echo also came across many residents who blamed the problem on the proximity of the markets, stressing that the close locations of Ekeoha Shopping Centre, Ahia-Ohuru and Eziukwu Road Market is the major problem.
Ahamdi Iheanacho said that with thousands of customers visiting Aba on daily basis from different parts of West Africa, businesses are expected to push the city into rapid expansion, but that is unfortunately not happening.
“The distances between the Eziukwu Market (Cemetery Market), Ahia-Ohuru (New Market) and the Ekeoha Market (Shopping Centre) are barely five minutes drive from each other.
“Remember those markets do not have enough and properly built warehouses mapped out within them. These three major markets are located in Aba South Local Government Area, within the Aba metropolis.
“If you’re observing what’s happening, then you’ll know that traders are chasing residents out of Aba South LGA to gain spaces for warehouses. The question is why not build warehouses outside town?
“Aba North is slightly affected, but Aba South is no longer a residential area. It’s the fault of our government who doesn’t know how to plan a city.
“I’m shocked at what I’m seeing. Areas we know as homes are turning into warehouses while, the bushes are still there around Osisioma, Ugwunagbo and Obingwa LGAs with minor developers going there.
“I think the major issue is not just about the markets or the landlords, its lack of proper planning. Many homes in Aba are minor factories and minor markets.
“Go to Ehi road, you’ll see that almost all the Printing Press there are located in residential houses. They do their businesses in buildings where people reside and you want to have sanity and decent environment? Abia State government is a joke.”
Obinna Nnadi went on to also fault the location of markets, saying: “Almost all the major markets in Aba are located in Aba South LGA apart from Ariaria that’s between Osisioma and Aba North LGA.
“Government built another market called Orie-Ohabiam in the same Aba South around 2004, at the outskirts around Aba-Port Harcourt road.
“That market was supposed to be occupied by all those electronics dealers that were chased away from Pound road because Pound road used to be the main electronics centre in Aba.
“However, the poor condition of Port Harcourt road became a problem barely few years after the construction of that market.
“As at 2010, almost all the traders that relocated from Pound road to Orie-Ohabiam began to return. Some of them ended up at Ekeoha Market (Shopping Centre).
“You know that Ekeoha Market was previously a market for just clothing and textiles. It was the failure of Orie-Ohabiam that pushed many electronic dealers into the Shopping Centre and today, that market has lost its glory.
“Orie-Ohabiam is wasting there because there’s no road to access it. Again, most times when people build warehouses around areas like Umuode, Umuojima, Abayi-Ariaria, Umuogele or even Ogbor-Hill, they experience burglary. So, security is another problem.
“Yes, the roads may be bad, the markets may be far from those areas, but the security situation is also a problem in different parts of this Aba.”
The implication of this development is a distortion of the planning of the city centre. Focus is more on the income generating capacity of the businesses located there than the aesthetics of the town. Besides, a lot of inconvenience is generated against the residents of the area who are displaced.
We hold the view that the government should take the town planning job very serious and give the commercial nerve centre the right attention it deserves as a city that hosts foreigners from neighboring African countries.
Semi Street malls, gigantic warehouses, exotic shops are currently making life uncomfortable for the residents of Aba, the commercial hub of South East, Nigeria. Many are wondering why old residential buildings are been sold, knocked down and replaced with semi malls, halls, warehouses and various business centre.
The city centre which stretches from Aba South to Aba North Local Government Areas, is gradually becoming non-residential to the chagrin of those who knew what it used to be. It shocks many that residents of a city with over eight major markets and over 30 minor markets are being displaced, as businesses threaten residential homes.
With major markets like Ariaria International Market, Eziukwu Road Market, Ahia-Ohuru, Ekeoha Shopping Centre, Ehere Market, Uratta Integrated Market, Alaoji Spare Parts Market and Orie-Ohabiam, one wonders why streets of Aba are turning into markets on daily basis.
Mr. Lambert Ahukanna, who said he is a victim of the situation, told News Echo that the poor town planning system, greediness among landlords and lack of will power from Abia State government are the causative factors of the problem.
He said, “It is unfortunate that people who cannot plan anything are busy destroying what the colonial government, old Eastern Nigeria and the old Imo State left for them. This Aba Town you’re seeing was given the same design as Calabar.
“The British planned the city perfectly that’s why you see that from Howell Crescent, stretching out from Aba Town Hall, through Asa road axis, move from Milverton Avenue down to School road have the same line of buildings. No one is beyond the other.
“However, immediately Mbakwe’s administration left and Abia was created, the first thing we started seeing from 1991 till today is a total backwardness from proper planning. They started with the selling of sanitary lanes to traders to use and erect shops.
“You can own a house in Aba while your sanitary lane belongs to another man which government sold it to. I have suffered the effect of the reckless erection of warehouses and semi business malls all over our streets.
“I used to reside at St Michael’s, but when that peaceful street suddenly became a phone market less than five years of GSM coming into Nigeria, many have to run away. Rooms turned to shops, as landlords started increasing rents recklessly.
“Buildings were knocked down and converted to malls. Today, go to St Michael’s road by 7:30pm, it’s like a ghost town because by that time, phones, and computer accessories sellers have all gone home living that beautifully planned residential areas desolate.”
Nze Chrysogonus Ezeibe said the situation in Aba has further exposed the recklessness of the current South East leaders, whom he said never learnt anything from the likes of Nnamdi Azikiwe, Michael Okpara, Akanu Ibiam and Sam Mbakwe.
“Are you seeing what’s happening at Etche road? In the next five years I doubt if there will be up to 10 residential homes there. Traders at Ahia-Ohuru are buying every old building and converting them into warehouses.
“Abia State government is watching this massive relocation of residents from these well planned urban areas without any action simply because they are generating more revenue from these traders.
“Now, do you know why warehouses, shops and what people call small malls are not springing up in areas like Over-Rail, Ogbor-Hill, Osisioma and Asa-Nnetu axis where there are spaces? The answer is bad roads and insecurity.
“Yes, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu is working on roads, but he’s only recovering abandoned roads within the city centre. No new roads are springing up. Areas like Umuode, Umuojima, Umuchichi, Umuogele, Umunkama, Owerri-Aba, Mkpukpuevula where most people bought lands and built houses, aren’t really secured currently because majority of those areas aren’t policed.
“No good roads, no security. Rich traders in Ariaria will prefer knocking down buildings at Faulks road, Power-Line, Old Express, Samek and Imo Avenue rather than moving into areas trailers and large vans cannot enter. It is the same situation at school road where Cemetery Market traders are chasing residents away.”
Aaron Ike lambasted the Aba South LGA, Aba North LGA and Osisioma Ngwa LGA Town Planning Authorities for the situation, stressing that they know nothing asides collecting money from those erecting new structures.
“Why do we have flooding in Ariaria today? Is it not because someone watched traders erect shops on top of drainages? Go to Ariaria drug mart and see with your eyes.
“It is a pity that Abia government and their worthless Town Planning Authorities will watch the recklessness going on in Aba.
“Now see the disgusting trends; Pound road, a well planned residential area is now a market for refrigerator, kitchen utensils, and gas cylinder sellers. St. Michael’s road is now a market for phones and computer accessories;
“Hospital road is now markets for patent medicine dealers, electrical materials dealers, Hausa businesses and tricycle dealers. Jubilee road is now market for spare parts, chair designing clothes and wrappers.
“Cameroun road, Tenant road, Market road are now markets for beverages, packaged foodstuffs and provisions. Clifford road and School road are now spare parts markets as well while Cemetery Market has also encroached on School road heavily.
“Do you know that Abia State government while demonstrating its hatred for education had to give half of the land of the prestigious School road primary school to traders to continue to expand Cemetery Market?
“They also did the same at Township School and City Primary School where governor Ikpeazu gave away the two school’s football pitches and staff quarters to his church, the Seventh Day Adventist Church at No 1 school road to take as their property.
“The church is thanking him every day for the gift and praying about it without considering that they’ve denied children of poor people in those two schools their extra-curricular activities which are part of learning.”
Pa Wilberforce Okereke, a landlord at Jubilee road, got annoyed with our reporter who tried to ask him why all the rooms in his bungalow building have become shops for tailors, parking store for engine oil and people doing all kinds of businesses.
“I didn’t chase the tenants out, I waited for their monies to expire, when it did, I brought in those traders you’re complaining that are using the place vacated by my old tenants. They gave me a better offer.
“Those traders and tailors are still making use of it and I don’t know why this is a problem to those who told you about it. Do you have a problem with that? Is it your house?
“Nobody is disturbing me not even government. So, if an ordinary tenant is offering me N48, 000-N50, 000 for a room per annum and a trader is offering N85, 000-N100, 000 to park his goods there, I should say no that it’s a residential home?
“Can you do it if you were me? See, this is business. No building is designated residential. Anything can happen in a building. What matters is the offer.
“I suffered to build my entire house and as far as I’m concerned, I didn’t borrow money from anybody to build them not even government.
“The particular house you’re talking about has over 20 rooms and I’m using it to take care of myself. I live here and traders use the other part for their businesses. Their noise is not disturbing me. I’m okay with it,” he stressed.
News Echo also came across many residents who blamed the problem on the proximity of the markets, stressing that the close locations of Ekeoha Shopping Centre, Ahia-Ohuru and Eziukwu Road Market is the major problem.
Ahamdi Iheanacho said that with thousands of customers visiting Aba on daily basis from different parts of West Africa, businesses are expected to push the city into rapid expansion, but that is unfortunately not happening.
“The distances between the Eziukwu Market (Cemetery Market), Ahia-Ohuru (New Market) and the Ekeoha Market (Shopping Centre) are barely five minutes drive from each other.
“Remember those markets do not have enough and properly built warehouses mapped out within them. These three major markets are located in Aba South Local Government Area, within the Aba metropolis.
“If you’re observing what’s happening, then you’ll know that traders are chasing residents out of Aba South LGA to gain spaces for warehouses. The question is why not build warehouses outside town?
“Aba North is slightly affected, but Aba South is no longer a residential area. It’s the fault of our government who doesn’t know how to plan a city.
“I’m shocked at what I’m seeing. Areas we know as homes are turning into warehouses while, the bushes are still there around Osisioma, Ugwunagbo and Obingwa LGAs with minor developers going there.
“I think the major issue is not just about the markets or the landlords, its lack of proper planning. Many homes in Aba are minor factories and minor markets.
“Go to Ehi road, you’ll see that almost all the Printing Press there are located in residential houses. They do their businesses in buildings where people reside and you want to have sanity and decent environment? Abia State government is a joke.”
Obinna Nnadi went on to also fault the location of markets, saying: “Almost all the major markets in Aba are located in Aba South LGA apart from Ariaria that’s between Osisioma and Aba North LGA.
“Government built another market called Orie-Ohabiam in the same Aba South around 2004, at the outskirts around Aba-Port Harcourt road.
“That market was supposed to be occupied by all those electronics dealers that were chased away from Pound road because Pound road used to be the main electronics centre in Aba.
“However, the poor condition of Port Harcourt road became a problem barely few years after the construction of that market.
“As at 2010, almost all the traders that relocated from Pound road to Orie-Ohabiam began to return. Some of them ended up at Ekeoha Market (Shopping Centre).
“You know that Ekeoha Market was previously a market for just clothing and textiles. It was the failure of Orie-Ohabiam that pushed many electronic dealers into the Shopping Centre and today, that market has lost its glory.
“Orie-Ohabiam is wasting there because there’s no road to access it. Again, most times when people build warehouses around areas like Umuode, Umuojima, Abayi-Ariaria, Umuogele or even Ogbor-Hill, they experience burglary. So, security is another problem.
“Yes, the roads may be bad, the markets may be far from those areas, but the security situation is also a problem in different parts of this Aba.”
The implication of this development is a distortion of the planning of the city centre. Focus is more on the income generating capacity of the businesses located there than the aesthetics of the town. Besides, a lot of inconvenience is generated against the residents of the area who are displaced.
We hold the view that the government should take the town planning job very serious and give the commercial nerve centre the right attention it deserves as a city that hosts foreigners from neighboring African countries.
