The bustling Uwa Mgbede Market, situated along the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway in Onitsha, has been shut down by the Anambra State Government due to what officials describe as poor environmental practices and unauthorized operations.
Led by Celestine Anere, the Managing Director of Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra Brigade, personnel sealed the market on Friday, citing various violations including its unapproved location, unsanitary conditions, clogged drainages, illegal parking, and the abandonment of vehicles on the main road.
According to Anere, “The market was sealed off for various environmental contraventions such as unapproved location, filthy environment, blocked and littered drainages, illegal and indiscriminate parking and abandonment of trucks on the major road, among others.”
He emphasized the importance of traders utilizing approved markets sanctioned by the state government, which provide safer and more conducive trading environments. Anere warned against establishing self-markets without proper authorization, stating that violators would face consequences.
The closure of Uwa Mgbede Market follows a similar action taken against the Fruit Market along the expressway a few weeks prior, where traders were forcibly relocated to the Ogbaru fruit market.
However, the sudden closure sparked reactions from traders who expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of prior notice. Joseph Ukonne, a trader, lamented, “This market has existed for over 20 years. The traders don’t constitute any environmental hazard because we clear the drainage system every week and sweep the environment at the end of each business activity every day.”
