The Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra, otherwise known as the OCHA Brigade, has carried out an enforcement exercise in and around Mgbuka Obosi Market in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state, where it demolished several shanties and illegal structures located directly under high-tension cables.
It was gathered that the exercise was aimed at sanitising the area and discouraging residents, traders and developers from continuing the dangerous and unlawful practice of building or operating businesses within restricted power line corridors.
Speaking during the exercise on Monday, the Managing Director of the OCHA Brigade, Celestine Anere, said it was part of the agency’s responsibility to protect lives and public infrastructure, adding that structures under high-tension lines pose serious safety risks to occupants and the general public.
He warned that anyone who defies government directives by erecting buildings or trading in such prohibited areas would be treated as a lawbreaker and made to face the full weight of the law.
He said, “Defaulters will be charged to court and compelled to pay for the cost of the workforce and equipment deployed for any demolition carried out on their illegal structures.
“The enforcement was not targeted at any individual or group but was designed to safeguard residents from avoidable disasters and to maintain order within public spaces across the state.
“The Anambra State Government had earlier issued repeated public warnings to traders and property developers against building, operating shops or erecting makeshift structures under high-tension cables and other restricted zones.”
According to him, the ongoing enforcement at Mgbuka Obosi should serve as a clear reminder that the state government remains committed to enforcing environmental and safety regulations.
He, however, urged residents to comply with the law in their own interest and safety and that of the wider community.
PUNCH Online, on January 15, reported that the Anambra State Government said it had commenced enforcement of all environmental laws in the state.
The Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor, announced this in a statement he made available to journalists.
The statement noted that defaulters would be fined ₦20,000 to ₦5 million depending on the category of their offence.
He also stated that the fines are categorised under individuals and corporate organisations.
