Governor Soludo and Afor Nnobi: When development destroys the people it is supposed to serve

Governor Soludo and Afor Nnobi: When development destroys the people it is supposed to serve

In Anambra State, the destruction of Afor Nnobi Market by the government has sparked outrage. This once bustling marketplace, over a century old, now lies in ruins, replaced by a proposed flyover at Nnobi Junction. The governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, an economist of international renown, should know better than to ignore the human costs of development.

For generations, Afor Nnobi Market has been the economic nerve center of the town, connecting traffic to various surrounding communities. It was home to farmers, traders, artisans, and transporters, whose livelihoods depended on the market. Suddenly, without proper planning or compensation, a quarter of the market and adjoining properties were demolished for road dualisation. Then, in a cruel twist, the entire market was destroyed to make way for the flyover.

This developer's blind eye to the impact on thousands of lives is particularly egregious given Soludo's background. As a respected economist, he should understand the importance of impact assessments, proper resettlement, and the principle of 'no person left behind.' Yet, in Afor Nnobi, these fundamental principles were thrown out the window.

The absence of a replacement market, traders left homeless, ancestral burial grounds swept away - these are not just logistical issues. They represent a fundamental failure of governance. How can a government claim to prioritize development when it destroys the economic foundation of an entire community?

Moreover, the prolonged delay and safety concerns surrounding the Ekwulobia flyover built under Soludo's watch raise serious questions about the quality of engineering and the true purpose of such projects. Was this flyover necessary? Could simpler, less disruptive alternatives have been explored?

Ultimately, the destruction of Afor Nnobi Market raises a critical question: at what cost does development come? If a less expensive solution can solve a problem without destroying existing economic life, why resort to such costly and insensitive measures? As a leader with a background in economics, Soludo should have asked these questions long before the bulldozers arrived.