Anambra State Government has directed all those, whose property and shops lie within the areas mapped out for Ekwulobia Flyover to begin to dismantle and evacuate same.
A release signed by the Commissioner for Information, Sir Paul Nwosu, disclosed that actual construction work will commence in earnest.
To that effect, the evacuation has become necessary to give way for the all-important fly over project, as agreed in a recent stakeholders meeting.
ANN gathered that landlords and shop owners have been responding by removing valuables and most people appeared to be adjusting though painfully to the Ekwulobia flyover and ancillary projects, already, commercial buildings and houses have been marked for demolition as the project is set to take off.
ANN reports that properties where marked for demolition or partial removal along the Nanka-First Bank route are the Union Bank, Total Filling Station, First Bank, Access Bank, Mrs Obi Okoli Shopping Plaza, Ekwulobia Motor park and environs.
Along the Ekwulobia-Oko road, major commercial buildings affected are Zenith Bank, City Mall on Oko road, shops belonging to electrical electronics dealers, etc.
ANN recalled that on March 16, 2023, the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo flagged off the construction of Ekwulobia Flyover and Ancillary Projects to upgrade the town to a befitting urban status.
The project is, however, coming with a big price to be paid by the indigenes, especially those living or having properties along the major highways in Ekwulobia. Some of the buildings were recently completed.
The Ekwulobia flyover and ancillary projects contract was awarded in October, 2022 by the state government to A.G Vision Limited and the projects are expected to be completed in 18 months, starting from the day of the flag off.
Governor Soludo recently asserted that the project is in fulfillment of his promise as contained in the People’s Manifesto.
The Governor added that road infrastructure projects embarked upon by his administration has a minimum guarantee of twenty years life span.
People are of the view that Soludo should give due considerations to measures aimed at alleviating the impact of the new project.
The measures include urgent asphalting link roads and bypasses critically needed in order to ensure unimpeded vehicular movements. They also opine that goverment deal with the ravaging flooding in most parts of the area which has been hellish for mororists.
They also request that economic and environmental impact analysis believed to have been carried out by the administration be speedily implemented. as a key aspect of the flyover project. Most traders bemoan lack of alternative business premises as well as heavy losses.
The people also stated that a proper weighing of economic impact is particularly pertinent in view of the fact that the affected area is where the majority of the indigenes as well as non-indigenes run small and big businesses thereby making a living.
