Stnomso:
Correct Road signs and makings should be added on our roads.

Stnomso:
Correct Road signs and makings should be added on our roads.

DawatNama:
Anambra cities are disgusting: narrow roads, open gutters, streets trading and less oxygen in the atmosphere due to poor tree planting culture

Cjrane2:


If we can get Onitsha to become a very conducive city for business and pleasure, we would have achieved 50% of the need to re-position SE as a principal investment and tourist destination.

But the task will not be easy. Moreover, it requires being done with new strategies and not the old strategies of the past which failed. That is partly my reason for kicking against dumping gutter silt on the road. it was a method used for decades in the so called "Environmental Sanitation" which has failed to clean Nigeria nor clean the drains. Because everything scrapped out of the gutters all these years were simply washed back into the gutters by the subsequent rains. It's almost as though Africans merely do things to appear as though they are cleaning the environment, knowing all their effort will result in naught because no real effort was ever made to evacuate the dirt from those spots to a landfill.

mktinsight:


To get Onitsha conducive needs a committed governor. Obiano is definitely not one because street trading and lawlessness has exploded under him. Onitsha represents great potential and the great failure of igbo organization. You have a city that draws shoppers from far and wide but you see primitive retailing at its worst. Every market is like a zoo. First world goods third world presentation. Take a look at Iweka Road I visited recently. This is an Igbo shopping district

Yyeske:
Every city is unique, when Awka was declared a capital, successive governments tried mapping out a master plan for the future city which it of course did unlike Onitsha which initially was believed to be within Onitsha North and South LGAs but since had so expanded and encompassing other towns due to the massive influx of people in recent times. This I guess caught the state government unawares and it has been trying its best to amend the situation.

Cjrane2:


Stop lying as if nobody has lived in Onitsha except you. Obiano has transformed Onitsha beyond my widest dream. I lived in Fegge, Awada and Woliwo and i can tell you those areas have improved drastically from what they used to be.

After the civil war, Igbos developed a siege mentality and conducted markets with makeshift materials as it happened during the war. The problem was compounded by complete lack of leadership in Igboland and the Federal Government's unrelenting policy to impoverish and destroy Igboland. Under these conditions, the eyesore we came to call Ochanja and many parts of Onitsha metamorphosed.

Obiano is the only Tiger Governor that has dared to put things right. Infact, Obiano is the Only Governor of Anambra that has dared to demolish illegal structures no matter their owners. Other Anambra Governors either took bribes and forgot about the issue or they were too scared to confront the owners who were in many cases friends of their godfathers.

It will not be easy to sanitize Onitsha and many parts of Anambra from the years of indiscriminate bastardization on the environment with illegal structures and street markets, but a constant and continuous effort to remove them will eventually teach people that it doesn't pay to just go under the bridge and build shanties and rent out to people as stores.

mktinsight:


Obi did a lot in transforming Onitsha. There was a time they cleared all shanties adjoined to walls within Onitsha. Guess what? Under Obiano they are back. Buses that were prevented from parking on the sides of roads are doing it with impunity now. Two lane high traffic roads were not used for indiscriminate parking under Obi. Under Obiano vehicles and barrow hawkers turn busy roads into one lane roads. Obi did not have any ATMA but he was effective. Obianos ATMA is full of corruption.

Frankly one expects to see progress not regression in governance. Obiano is regressive. I have not seen Anambra cities this lawless. Meanwhile go to Owerri, Enugu, Abakaliki and you see improved law and order not chaos.

Cjrane2:


I don't want to make this a debate about Peter Obi and Obiano. I just want to point out your falsehood. Mind you, i have no reason to back any because i am not even an indigene of the state. I just grew up there. I respect Peter Obi because he truly started the recovery of Anambra from a pariah state to an exemplary state. He also gave us Obiano. Anambra used to be much worse state than Abia state. Obi helped change the history of the state.

Peter Obi spoke about a much touted N16 billion naira urban renewal of Onitsha. Everyone thought Peter Obi would go into Onitsha and fix the roads, build big gutters to check flooding, put street lights on Awka road, Ugwunabamkpa, Oguta roads and New Cemetery road. Perhaps also extend it to Oraifite street and Ezeiweka etc.

Alas! What Peter Obi did was go to former Onitsha north LGA and demolished the building to build a mediocre township stadium stating that Col. Atom Kpere as Governor breached the master plan to build LGA instead of stadium in the area. Then he went to Bridgehead market and forced them to fence it because it was an eyesore while entering the state (I commend him on that). These two actions principally summed the Obi administration's much announced urban renewal of Onitsha! Incidentally, at the same time Akpabio was doing urban renewal / uncommon transformation of Uyo. We know who succeeded in changing the cities.

The problem was that Peter Obi was too afraid to do the hard work that was needed to improve Onitsha and ban the use of Okada as means of public transportation. We know that unless you demolish illegal structures and clear public areas taken over by illegal traders, you will have done nothing in Onitsha. That is why Obiano's present action is highly commendable because he is tackling the problem at the root instead of playing to the gallery by demolishing one elementary school in Onitsha and claiming he needs to build a TV house because it was in the original master plan. You have to CLEAR ALL STREETS AND ROADS OF ILLEGAL STRUCTURES and then upgrade the infrastructure if you want to save Onitsha. It is a necessary painful step which MUST be taken. That is why i refer to Obiano as a tiger because he takes heard steps to truly solve a problem.

mktinsight:


Obi built the very wide expressway from bridgehead all the way to Ogidi junction with service lanes. He built the old road connecting Nkpor all the way to Awka. He cleansed the interior of Onitsha of shacks because I went through there in 2012 and was totally shocked that Onitsha had been sanitized. I see regression under Obiano.

About Onitsha, Awka and elsewhere. Until the state takes a firm stance on markets and transport you will not have law and order. Lagos did not allow the Bs of traders and corrupt market associations to one-up the govt. Fashola managed and managed Oshodi with lots of expense with LASTMA officials until Ambode firmly leveled it. That's what ANSG needs to do to Ochanja, Eke Awka and many eyesores people call markets. Remove derelict buildings and force upgrade. We cannot continue managing primitive markets hastily built in the 70s when we are in 2018. I don't subscribe to pandering for a few hundred traders causing chaos for tens of thousands pleading for pity while making money in the process.

Cjrane2:


FACT CHECK:
It's Obiano that extended the road from Inosi-Onira roundabout to old Onitsha toll gate.
He went on to build 3 flyovers in Awka and had been expanding the road through the state capital into 10 lanes.

This isn't about Peter Obi vs. Obiano contest and i will stop responding if you make this a narrow topic about two men. As already stated, Peter Obi did his best. But Obiano obviously thinks bigger and has been poised to do greater things. Obiano has the courage to take actions needed unlike Obi and others. If Obiano demolished your building, deal with it and stop building illegally. As for the ongoing demolition of illegal structures, it is a necessary growing pains.

You mentioned that elites were leaving Anambra, this is the first time in the history of the state that reasonable people have lived in Anambra due to improved security. In the past any notable Anambra person from Ojukwu to Ekwueme to Andy Ubah all lived in Enugu!

Today, i am seeing world class housing estates that rival independence layout spring up in Awka. You may not like Obiano, but he has truly done a lot to change the narrative of Anambra.

mktinsight:
Strategy Plan for Anambra Markets
---------------------------------------------------------

People from far and wide already patronize Onitsha, Nnewi and environs. Anambra has more markets than any other place in Nigeria except Lagos. Obiano should turn this into a strategic advantage by working with local leaders and landlords to transform markets and commercial streets into attractive spaces for shoppers behind a grand advertising push called SHOP IN ANAMBRA.

Let's say someone wanted building materials or electrical components or auto parts or clothing or hospital equipment and are in Edo or Rivers, the first place they should think about is going to Anambra to shop. Getting to the markets should be easy and not stressful via private vehicle or public. They should be able to access banking facilities, foodcourts and even book transport in a secure environment easily. This is how Guangzhou and Dubai make their money.

The ANSG should transform key commercial streets like Iweka, New Market Rd, Zik Avenue into pleasant shopping places. Put in nearby large capacity bus terminals, traffic lights, clear pavements, ban parking and street trading on those streets, do PPP to construct multi-level parking, enforce clean gutters and proper waste disposal, force landlords to remove or upgrade dilapidated shopping plazas and ensure there are conveniences.

Advertise Anambra Markets and shopping districts in the media and Internet. The Shop in Anambra marketing motto should be accompanied by info on interstate buses that go to Anambra and a list of hotels to stay. Indeed shoppers could easily stay in Awka and shop in Onitsha or Nnewi.

mktinsight:
Strategy Plan for Anambra Markets
---------------------------------------------------------

People from far and wide already patronize Onitsha, Nnewi and environs. Anambra has more markets than any other place in Nigeria except Lagos. Obiano should turn this into a strategic advantage by working with local leaders and landlords to transform markets and commercial streets into attractive spaces for shoppers behind a grand advertising push called SHOP IN ANAMBRA.

Let's say someone wanted building materials or electrical components or auto parts or clothing or hospital equipment and are in Edo or Rivers, the first place they should think about is going to Anambra to shop. Getting to the markets should be easy and not stressful via private vehicle or public. They should be able to access banking facilities, foodcourts and even book transport in a secure environment easily. This is how Guangzhou and Dubai make their money.

The ANSG should transform key commercial streets like Iweka, New Market Rd, Zik Avenue into pleasant shopping places. Put in nearby large capacity bus terminals, traffic lights, clear pavements, ban parking and street trading on those streets, do PPP to construct multi-level parking, enforce clean gutters and proper waste disposal, force landlords to remove or upgrade dilapidated shopping plazas and ensure there are conveniences.

Advertise Anambra Markets and shopping districts in the media and Internet. The Shop in Anambra marketing motto should be accompanied by info on interstate buses that go to Anambra and a list of hotels to stay. Indeed shoppers could easily stay in Awka and shop in Onitsha or Nnewi.

nopains:
alot is still needed to be done in onitsha. i just wish obiano would consider putting up iconic projects like this in millennium city and other strategic places in onitsha. this would serve dual purposes of easing up traffic and as well as beautifying the landscape of our cities.

post=67330208:
work has commenced on GRA road Awka

post=67330333:
Esther Obiakor road Awka

OreMI22:


,
Thanks for the pics.
Just wondering if you understand their proposed traffic flow here? Why build six labes with two medians in the center??
Why not just a broad dual carriage way with 3 lanes on each direction? Biko, explain this one if you understand this road system here.
Thanks i advance.

mktinsight:
Nice but this is what Obianos Anambra really looks like

post=67330870:

The road was started by Mbadinuju, previous governors after him abandoned the project, it caused serious erosion until Obiano intervened, he's trying to connect the road to Esther Obiakor road

OreMI22:


Thanks a lot!
When i looked at the road design, i knew only a madman like Mbadinuju could have designed such senseless road. I am glad it is completed. It is is still part of development albeit it's confusing design as though they are three roads leading to separate destinations they way they put two medians on one road.