Anambra Signs Pact To Build 5,000 Shops

The Anambra State Government has signed a tripartite agreement with Bukham Nigeria Limited and Onitsha Patients & Proprietary Medicine Dealers Union (OPPMDU) for the construction of 5,000 shops at Anambra State International Market Oba.
Presenting, the tripartite agreement in Awka, Commissioner for Trade, Commerce, Market and Wealth Creation, Uzoamaka IIuobi, disclosed that the agreement was to assure the OPPMDU that the government issued allocation papers to all members.
According to the IIuobi, this was in line with the OPPMDU’s request for the 25 hectres of land out of the 151 hectres of land managed by the Bukham Group at the State International Market Oba to build 5,000 shops or more within the stipulations of the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The commissioner maintained that with the movement of OPPMDU to Oba, Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, has fulfilled one of his numerous campaign promises, which include decongesting Onitsha metropolis.
He added that “on the other hand, over 5,000 jobs would be created in the course of the construction and allocation of the shops as its investment worth was over N10 billion Naira, even as Burkham Group is expected to build over 2,000 shops with modern facilities in the first phase of the project.”
While appreciating the state government for its good gestures, Managing Director, Bukham Group, Bukar Hassan, restated the firm’s commitment to executing the project with utmost sincerity and delivered within the expected timeframe of completion of the project.
Hassan disclosed that about five other market associations have also expressed their interests to move from Onitsha to the Anambra International market Oba, which Bukham Group and Anambra State Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Market and Wealth Creation are currently processing. At completion of the project, he added, it would give Anambra a facelift and generate more revenue for the state government.
Chairman, OPPMDU, Mr. Uche Eze, expressed joy over the move by the state government to give the union a befitting marketing site.
Eze expressed his union’s readiness to buy the existing 1,500 shops in the market.
Highpoint of the event was the signing and presentation of the tripartite agreement by IIuobi in the presence of Eze and Hassan.