By Jude Njoku

Determined to give Umuahia, the Abia State capital a new look befitting its status, the state government has begun moves to relocate traders from the old Umuahia main market. The government is developing a model market in the city whose construction has reached an advanced stage.

Similarly, the government has commenced the rehabilitation of the rundown  Ariara International market in the commercial city of Aba.

The State commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Dr Sampson Orji who disclosed to newsmen weekend in Lagos, also gave reasons for the inability of the state government to revive the comatose Modern Ceramics Industries Limited and Golden Guinea Breweries all located in Umuahia.

Dr Orji disclosed that the new market at Umuahia which would be known as Ubani Ibeku ultra modern market is located just a few kilometres off the immediate city, along the Isuikwuato Ohafia highway.

“Work is being fired on daily at the site and we presently have achieved close to 3000 shops out of the projected 5000 shops. Our projection is to relocate the traders from Umuahia main market within the year. So far, we are on target and we are not oblivious of the approaching rain. It’s a beautiful design, providing all the modern facilities that would make it very attractive to traders,” he said.

Dr Orji said the government has also begun the construction of an Industrial Market few kilometers off the major city, along the Umuahia Ikot-ekpene road. “The shops are designed uniquely for industrial purposes. When completed, the present location of the lumber and building material dealers will be relocated.

...the market under construction

“Again, we have projected 5000 shops, even though the existing number of the traders on lumbar and allied products is about half that number. The purpose is to allow space for prospective entrants into the trade and permanently forestall the incidence of non-availability of shops. The access road to it is also being constructed to make for alternative access and forestall severe traffic on the major Umudike high way,” he said.

Another urban renewal project embarked upon by the Abia state government in Umuahia is the construction of Ohiya-Nsukwe-Umuogo mechanic village under a PPP arrangement.  He said mechanics in the city would be relocated to the new village before the end of this month following the governor’s intervention with the donation of roofing sheets. The commissioner disclosed that at the instance of National Auto Mechanics Association, mechanics in Aba are also being relocated to a new village.

On the rehabilitation of Ariara market, the commissioner said before now, it was more of a refuse dump than a market and always elicited vile criticism of the State government by any visitor, without recourse to the actual culprit, being the local government Authority. “I am proud to announce to you that we have opened up the access roads in Ariaria Market, desilted the drainages and restored most of the aesthetics of the market. You can actually drive in and out of Ariaria now,” he said.

On the comatose Modern Ceramics Industries, Orji laid the blame for its non revival on the core investor, United Clergy and Laity UCL Investments Ltd. to live up to its part of the bargain. UCL is  owned and managed by the Catholic Mission, Umuahia. The commissioner who levelled several allegations against the company, said it lacks the capacity to revive the comatose industry.

On Golden Guinea breweries, the commissioner said:”Until recently, government had been under the illusion that a certain core investor who claimed to be funding the resuscitation was actually doing so. It was a rude shock when we found out later that the investor in question lacked the requisite capacity to undertake the resuscitation of the industry.  We have mandated the management to seek for investors since it has been clearly established that no nvestor was actually working on the Breweries”.