Aba displaced traders cry for help

Traders displaced from Waterside Market, Ogbor Hill, Aba, yesterday, called on Abia government to assist them to recover from their losses.

The state government ordered the demolition of the shanty shops and evacuation of traders at the market on February 4, a day after an accident claimed many lives there.

Government equally ordered the relocation of the traders to the Good Morning Market, also in Aba.

Speaking with newsmen in Aba, Chairman of Waterside Market Traders Association, Alpheus Ajiogu, enjoined the government to give the traders some assistance.

“Many of us at Waterside Market reside in Obingwa Local Government Area and it costs a lot for us to get to Good Morning Market where government has relocated us.

“The most challenging issue now is that the road to Good Morning Market from People’s Road, Obingwa, is in deplorable condition.

“We are managing to pass through the road now because it is dry season.

“We are begging government to reconstruct People’s Road to enable us and our customers who come from neighbouring Obingwa and Ikot Ekpene in Akwa Ibom to easily access Good Morning Market.

“We are also asking the government to assist us with some money because the demolition of Waterside Market caused us lots of losses as we did not remove our properties and wares,’’ he said.

Ajiogu also urged Abia government to ensure the new abattoir at Omuma-Uzo in Ukwa West Local Government Area was completed.

He said the abattoir was only for slaughtering of cows and not a market to sell meat.

The chairman also requested the completion of the roofing of shops allocated to the displaced traders at the Good Morning Market.

He said some parts of the market in the valley should be landfilled to secure the traders’ goods and make movements in and out of the market easier.

In another interview, Chairman of Good Morning Market Traders Association, Ezinna Ogbonna, said the market had more than 4,000 unoccupied shops, noting that many of the shops had not been roofed.

He called on the state government to roof the shops so that traders’ goods would be secured now and during the rainy season. (Daily Sun)