Greater Ohafia Development Authority (GODA) has urged the owners of illegal structures along major roads in Abia North to remove them to restore safety and sanity on the roads.
The director-general (DG) of GODA, Oinna Odum, made the appeal yesterday while interacting with owners of such structures along Eni Njoku Road, Ebem Ohafia in Ohafia local government area.
“This is in line with the drive of the state governor, Alex Otti, to ensure safety on the roads, restore the aesthetics of the towns and to create a healthier environment,” he said.
Odum decried the “alarming rate of encroachment on the roads” and the associated dangers including traffic gridlocks, accidents, flooding and erosion, among others.
He expressed concern about the safety of owners of structures under high-tension cables on both sides of the road, describing them as “an eyesore that can’t be ignored anymore.
“The situation is not only disrupting traffic flow, but is also putting lives at risk. It is imperative to restore order and ensure that the roads are free and safe again.”
The DG, who explained that a time frame would be given for their owners to comply with the appeal, warned that at the end of the period, GODA “will embark on removing them.”
Responding, the executive secretary of Ohafia Local Government Town Planning Authority, Godson Nzeuzor, assured that the structures would be removed without delay.
In their respective responses, some owners of the structures noted the dangers the structures pose and GODA’s concern about their safety, assuring that they would comply with the appeal.
