Gov Otti, Wife Visit Burnt Ahia Ohuru Market In Aba, Promise To Rebuild Shops

Dr. Alex Otti, Governor of Abia State, has visited the Ahia Ohuru (New Market) section on Ngwa Road in Aba, which was destroyed by fire on Saturday night.

Governor Otti went straight to the market after worshipping at the Methodist Church, Wesley Cathedral, Aba, where he attended the annual Covenant Thanksgiving Service.

He frowned at the poor condition of the structures housing the market stalls, claiming that the buildings and their layout pose a significant threat to lives and are unsuitable for human activities.

As a result, the Governor, who was accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Priscilla Otti; the Chief of Staff, Dr. Caleb Ajagba; the Mayor of Aba South, Chief Uche Wogu; and some other state and market executives, promised to work with the traders through the market leadership to first relocate them to a temporary location, rebuild the area, and bring them back.

“First and foremost, this place is not worth staying in. All these locations. This (the structure) will eventually cave in. So what we need to do is engage market leaders. All of these buildings must be demolished from beginning to end. So we can move them to a temporary location and rebuild here before they return, the Governor explained.

He added, “The modern market should not be like this; they (traders) require assistance. A fire truck cannot even enter here, so keep that in mind when we plan.”

Turning to the market’s Chairman, the Governor asked how long the structure had been in place, to which the Chairman, Mr. Uchekwukwu Anyanwu, replied, “More than 30 years.” According to Anyanwu, the majority of the structures were not intended for multiple floors, but traders began converting them into multi-story buildings.

Governor Otti directed the market’s leadership to consult with the local government chairman and the Greater Aba Development Authority (GADA) to discuss how to fix the market before reporting back to him.

“So you collaborate and report back to me on what I will need to engage with market participants. First and foremost, there must be somewhere to relocate them; then, you demolish the entire structure, we rebuild, and they will return. There should be adequate ventilation,” he said.

The Mayor of Aba South blamed the poor condition of the buildings and structural arrangement of the market shops on a lack of proper planning and the use of substandard materials in their construction.