He said conducting commercial activities on the road, drainage and walkways remained illegal and warned that those still engaging in the act may have a day with government. “We have had sensitization campaigns, stakeholders’ engagement and advocacy on why people who display wares on the roads, those who trade on walkways in Awka Capital Territory should leave those places, but it has been a running battle. “We understand the narrative that the economy is bad, people are struggling to survive but we have to sanitize the environment, where there is government, we have to ensure there is law and order.”

There are places meant for trading, government cannot go into a market and start demolishing it, so we are saying that abuse of our environment is not acceptable for the dignity of our state and safety of our people,” he said. Onuko said the government of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo under his agency would not be distracted by the attempt by the opposition to politicize the urban renewal exercise with the intention to blackmail it.

He called on the people to bear with government and understand that it meant the best for them as a responsible government would for its citizens. On the insinuation that he was doing his job without human face, Onuko said he was leading a crusade for radical but positive transformation that would upset the status quo. “That is not who I am, I am working for overriding public interest, the backlash is not unexpected, but we will not be distracted,” he said.