Withdrawal of Ocha Brigade on Duty Endangers Onitsha, Undermines Soludo’s Administration – Bright Edozie

By Polycarp Ifeanyi, Onitsha

A social critic, Comrade Bright Afam Chukwudozie, has stated that the withdrawal of the Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra (Ocha Brigade) from its environmental sanitation duties has put the environment in Onitsha at serious risk.

He unequivocally stated that the restriction placed on Ocha Brigade especially in Onitsha,constitutes a loophole deliberately created by opposition forces seeking to undermine the remarkable achievements of Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo’s administration.

Speaking to journalists in Onitsha, Chukwudozie warned that the Anambra State Government and the leadership of the Ocha Brigade Agency must resist pressure from political detractors.

He claimed that opposition elements are exploiting the current situation to weaken Governor Soludo’s credibility during this critical election period by spreading propaganda.

Chukwudozie further lamented that the sudden withdrawal of the Ocha Brigade might lead the public to perceive the agency as an illegitimate group of political thugs rather than a formally established body operating under Anambra State’s environmental health laws.

Now residing in Lagos, Chukwudozie, who began his career in Anambra State, expressed deep disappointment over the current environmental health conditions in Onitsha.

“In this visit to Onitsha, I could hardly withstand what I saw,” “The environment has started deteriorating again—especially at Bridgehead, Ogbogwu Market by the expressway, and Upper Iweka. The drainage systems are clogged with debris, refuse litters the streets, and I had to ask people whether the Ocha Brigade was still operational.”he said.

According to him, several residents told him that the agency had been withdrawn following a shooting incident at the Onitsha Main Market and might not resume operations until after the November election.

“The shooting incident at Onitsha Main Market, which tragically claimed the life of an innocent lady and left others injured, is indeed regrettable,” “However, I suspect it may have been politically motivated. The state government’s decision to withdraw the entire Ocha Brigade in response is, to me, akin to shooting oneself in the foot.”

“Ocha Brigade operates unarmed,I can personally testify that they don’t carry weapons while performing their duties. Unless the perpetrators involved in the incident were impersonators, I find the response disproportionate.”he stated.

Chukwudozie warned that delaying the agency’s reinstatement until after the election could further erode public confidence in its effectiveness.

He said:”People may no longer take the Ocha Brigade seriously after such a long absence. Why not identify and prosecute the individual responsible for the shooting, and then allow the rest of the team to return to work? Look around—the environment is filthy again. I’m baffled as to why Governor Soludo would yield to such pressure without realizing it’s a calculated tactic to weaken his re-election campaign.”

“In my view,” he concluded, “withdrawing the Ocha Brigade is not a solution to the shooting incident—it is a mockery of Soludo’s administration. Let the culprit face justice, and return the agency to its duty immediately.”