Onitsha – Traders of Building Materials International Market, Ogidi, Anambra State have cried out to the Federal and State Governments to construct a pedestrian bridge at the market site, along Enugu/Onitsha Express road to end avoidable road accidents involving pedestrians attempting to cross the opposite side of the road which also accommodates cluster of markets.
The construction of the bridge has become necessary in view of several deaths recorded on the express road involving victims who meet their untimely death while being crushed by over-speeding vehicles in their attempt to cross the road to make some business transactions or get to their destinations.
While mourning the death of some victims who lost their lives after being hit by vehicles while crossing the road, the President, Building Materials International Market, Ogidi, Chief Jude Nwankwo (Ezeudo) told our reporter that it was painful to witness the death of a customer or dear ones who by reckless abandonment of its responsibility to the citizens by governments lead to untimely death of innocent citizens and called on both the State and Federal Governments to construct a pedestrian bridge in the area.
Chief Nwankwo who expressed shock on the news of the death of a customer to one of the traders in the market narrated the ugly incident which led to the death of the victim while attempting to cross the other side of the road, but was reportedly crushed to death by an over-speeding vehicle.
The market leader, however, maintained that the busy and unsafe nature of the road has forced many customers to abandon the market for other markets to make their business transactions, even as he noted that Ogidi Building Materials Market remains the largest and well- stocked building materials market in the entire South-East and West Africa in general.
By Gloria Anaeze
