By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Traders at the Eziukwu Road International Market, Aba, have appealed to the Abia State Governo, Dr Alex Otti, to urgently come to their rescue by halting alleged plans by the Market  leadership to disposes  them of their shops hiding under the guise of remodeling and reconstruction efforts.

This is as the Market leadership insisted that the reconstruction plan was duly approved by the owners of the Market, the Aba South Local Council.

The aggrieved traders who, in their numbers, at the weekend staged a peaceful protest march to the Aba South Local Government Secretariat to register their grievances, pointedly accused the Oba Moses Ibe-led market administration of demolishing their shops with a view to reallocating same to cronies.

Leader of the protesting traders, mainly drawn from Zone 21 of the Market, Chizoba Osuala, alleged that the reconstruction effort is just a smokescreen by the Chairman of the Market, Oba Moses, to further appropriate traders’ shops, as was done during similar exercise in the past.

According to Osula, what the present Chairman is trying to do is a repeat of what the former Chairman of the Market, Dr Mike Okoro, (Vote for Jesus), did in 2021, that led to many traders losing their shops till date.

They, therefore, appealed to  Governor Otti and all other relevant authorities to wade in so as to prevent a breakdown of law and order at the market.

The aggrieved traders vowed that  unless the Government intervenes,  they are prepared to lay  down their lives to protect their means of livelihood  from being appropriated by those they described as “greedy market officials”.

Osuala categorically debunked claims by the market authorities that the reconstruction plan was necessitated by the dilapidated nature of the structures.

“Look, we are here today to inform the State Government and Aba South Local Council authorities that our shops which were constructed in 1986 are solid and safe.

“In other words, there is nothing wrong with the structural integrity of the  building housing our shops in Zone 21.

“The truth of the matter is that the place having issues is a small portion of the Zone where we used to hold our meetings. The problem was as a result of  the same greed of the leadership in 2021 when they illegally erected some substandard structures there.

“Now, the illegal structures, at a point began to fail integrity test,  but rather than concentrating on that part for what reconstruction ,they have decided to include our part  accommodating hundreds of shops.

“Information at our disposal has it that the Chairman, Oba Moses Ibe, whose personal shops are also within the axis, is the one orchestrating the demolition and reconstruction plan with the intent to appropriate more shops for himself and  those pushing him.

“This was exactly what Dr Mike Okoro did in 2021 as Chairman of the market when under the guise of reconstruction, many people lost their shops under unclear circumstances.

“Now, they are asking us to pay N 20,000 registration fees ,and their alleged plans for us to pay as much as N10 million each for us to have our shops back at the end of the so-called reconstruction.

“Our position is that even if there are needs for the existing shops to be reconstructed, we should be allowed to do it ourselves.

“Owing to past bitter experiences with the issue of  market stalls reconstruction, we no longer trust them because, almost, the same people behind the past traumatic exercises are the same people that have found themselves back to the leadership position of the market.

“In fact, ever since this present Chairman came into office a few months ago, we have never had peace of mind in the Market.

“It is either  one Levy/tax ,and or rent on daily bases, and these collections will be done by stern-looking thugs. A very little issue that needs to be settled amicably, they will order your shop to be locked.

“We are tired, and we are saying that enough-is enough”,  the aggrieved traders stated.

The Mayor of Aba South Local Government, Sir Obialor Anyanwu, while thanking the protesting traders for their peaceful conduct urged them to remain calm, assuring them that the matter will be amicably resolved.

Represented by his Deputy who is also  a trader at the Eziukwu Road Market, Mayor Obialor  urged them not to take laws into their hands.

But reacting to the traders’ allegations,on Saturday July 26,in an interview, the Chairman, Oba Moses, while denying any personal interests, noted that the  reconstruction plan was drawn and approved by the authorities of the Aba South Local Government,

who are the legal owners of the market.

“For the records, the Eziukwu Road Market and Ngwa Road Market (Ahiaohuru) belong to the Aba South Local Government.

“The reconstruction plan was conceived and approved by the Local Government because it believes that the structures are dilapidated.

“We want to  assure the affected traders that none will lose his shop. After the reconstruction, the original shop owners will get their shops back.

“That is why they have been asked to pay N 20 ,000 registration fee each ,so that there will be a proper record of original shop owners. It will equally serve to know those ,

who will be interested to retain their shops at the end of the exercise.

“As for plans to ask the traders to pay N 10 million for the shops, honestly I am not aware of that. In fact ,it is not true”, Moses stated.