From Chuks Moses, Awka
Trouble was averted at the electrical and electronics market along old Nnewi-Onitsha road, Nnewi, Anambra State when soldiers, policemen, local vigilantes, other security agencies and some youths were drafted to stop the traders from opening their stalls for the day’s business.
Apparently unknown to them that the state governor had ordered the sealing of the market, the traders told reporters that “they want us to remain locked out until we relocate to another site not built ti our taste.”
Numbering hundreds, the traders were seen gathered along the road in groups discussing the issue, having been prevented from having access to their stalls by the stern-looking security operatives.
Spokesman for the traders who is also the chairman of Diago/Okeke Line in the market, Mr Kenneth Offodum, told journalists that no prior notice was given to them by either government or any relevant authority concerning the market closure and relocation.
Mr Offodum said the security men and the youths on a strict instruction did not allow the traders to come close to their stalls to pick some of their belongings left in their stalls as they had no premonition of the unfolding event.
“Nobody gave us any previous notice that we must relocate to anywhere today. We were told that it was the order of the Commissioner for Trade, Hon Uchenna Okafor. And this Commissioner hasn’t come to see us except some days ago when fire gutted our stalls here and goods worth millions of naira were lost. At that time after sympathizing with us, the Commissioner told us point blank that there were no plans to relocate us now. He said his office was still consulting to know what to do.
“So, we are surprised to hear that it is the same Commissioner that has instructed that we should be forced out of this place. We suspect our former chairman as being the mastermind of this plot to evict us and force us to relocate to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu plaza. His tenure has expired and he does not allow for a fresh election for our market association, ” he alleged.
But the former Chairman, Chief Udemezue retorted that he was not the Governor of the State. He said it was the State government that wanted them to relocate.
Offodum insisted that traders at their present site rejected the plaza which he said was not built according to their taste “and we were not consulted before the plaza was built.”
He noted that the plaza was not specifically built for electrical/electronics dealers who he said must be the land owners of any new site for them and must build their own site from start to finish.
“We want to relocate where we can have enough land for expansion. We will develop it by ourselves according to our taste. We will not leave our current market site where we are tenants only to relocate to another place and continue to be tenants. We reject that because we know the nature of our business and what is good for us, ” the traders insisted.
Vice chairman of Obienu/Okeke Line, Mr Chidi Udemezue who deals in multi-media products and computers said all his goods and those of his co-traders were consumed by the recent fire outbreak at the market where they lost millions of naira to the fire
“The only sympathy (we get) is to force us to relocate unceremoniously. It can’t work.”
He said that whoever was pursuing them out of the market must desist from the action and allow peace to reign.
He declared that the traders needed a virgin land to build stalls they would call their own and not to remain tenants perpetually.