Akwa Ibom State government has deployed the Joint Task Force officials consisting of policemen, soldiers and other sister security agencies at the Ibom plaza to ward off street hawkers at the city centre
Ibom Plaza, designed for leisure with ornamental gardens and a big screen television, located within the city centre in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, had been turned into a sprawling marketplace by traders and roadside hawkers.
Though a section had many stalls built by the state government, traders and hawkers preferred open spaces, thereby obstructing traffic and going against the original design of the area.
Last year, the Uyo Capital City Development Agency (UCCDA), an agency of the state government, began massive demolition of structures around the area and sent hundreds of traders packing
After the demolition exercise, checks showed that some traders had regrouped and started occupying the space left behind by the displaced hawkers.
The chairman of UCCDA, Anietie Eka, said that “sanity has come to stay at Ibom Plaza,” as UCCDA has taken a decisive step by deploying a joint task force of security personnel to deter any resurgence of disorderly trading activities in the area.”
It was gathered that the presence of the joint security team was intended to ensure the area remains peaceful and orderly, thereby paving the way for further development in and around the plaza.
“Ibom Plaza is the city centre and should reflect the aesthetic value and orderliness it deserves,” Eka remarked.
When the demolition began initially in the city, it was to clear shanties blocking the waterways and drainages to prevent flooding.
The UUCDA chairman had said the action of the government was to clear the right of way of illegal structures and shanties to ensure proper checks on floods and maintain the aesthetic ambience of the city.
He said that before the commencement of the exercise, some members of the State Executive Council had carried out sensitisation on the public, asking owners of such structures to take them down, as no illegal structure would be spared from the exercise.
He had stated that the government frowns at some stubborn residents in Uyo who built their houses on drainages and waterways, thereby endangering the social security of others and their properties.
It was not clear how long the joint task force would be deployed to keep the traders away from the city centre.
