EBONYI GOVERNMENT–ABAKPA TRADERS IN A COLD WAR
The lingering relocation disagreement between the traders of Abakpa Main Market in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital and the Government of Ebonyi State under the leadership of Engr. David Umahi has taken a stormy dimension with the emissaries of the Government invading the market to effect the sealing off of the shops of the leaders of the market who were signatory to the lawsuit established against the Government by the traders.
Among those who invaded the market were the representative of the Government in the market, Chief Peter Oba; the S.A to the governor on Youth Mobilization, Mr Charles Onu alongside fifteen thugs. Trouble ensued when a sales boy to one of the market leaders tried to resist the sealing of his master’s shop. The boy was reportedly beaten to coma. He was said to have been immediately rushed to the Alex Ekwueme University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki where he took treatment and later brought back to life. Ired by this, the rest of the traders started a mild protest but which later resulted in the storming of the premises by the Police.
HOW IT ALL STARTED
According to one of the leaders of the market who didn’t want his name imprint, on the 27th of July, 2019, the chairman of the Ebonyi L.G.A, Mrs Chinyere Nwaogbaga served the traders with a quit notice which according to her would take effect from the 31st of August. Two days after the notice, he said, the governor himself announced outright revocation of the market.
“In 2001, a lease of 30 years was issued to us (the market traders) by Ebonyi L.G.A which owns the market. We still have more 12 years to occupy here going by the treaty which has not been revoked officially and even can’t be revoked without cogent reasons. That is not the issue; the price at which the governor placed the shops at the Int’l Market is what we can’t cope with. We have pleaded for a swap of the shops there since we still have 12 more years to stay here”, he said.
He continued, ” Where does he expect us to get the sum of N3.5 million each for a shop at the market? The price is too high and we can’t agree to that term. We have pleaded that he allowed us pay at most N1.5 million even as it is not everybody who can afford it since he’s hell-bent on relocating us, but he has instead increased it to a tearful N4.2 million. The whole ugly situation instead of coming down has been exacerbated by the government and we are frustrated at this point in time”.
Three days after the invasion of the market by the government forces, news came in that the private residences of the market leaders have also been confiscated and several arrests made among the leaders of the market.
Asked why it was so, another market leader who spoke under condition of anonymity alleged that the constant and unwarranted molestation and clampdown on the leaders of the market was because of the litigation established against the Government by the traders.
“The Government I can tell you is just intentionally maltreating and intimidating us. They know they can’t beat us in court and that’s why they have taken to assaulting us. The first day of this case had no Government’s representatives in attendance, not even one single person. And we are urging the security agents whom they now use to assault us to think twice and know that we are not taking laws into our hands. We have approached the court, to tell you how civil we have been with regard to this all important issue.”
The governor has a few days ago announced that he would be leading the security agents and government officials to the market on the 16th of October, 2019 to enforce the dismissal of the market traders from the sight, a development which has garnered public sympathy and criticisms owing to the fire brigade approach the Government has since taken to enforce the relocation of the traders at a very exorbitant cost.
But the traders have remained resolute and vowed not to succumb to the pressures and threats from government as they await the resolution of the court over the case before it.
Among those who invaded the market were the representative of the Government in the market, Chief Peter Oba; the S.A to the governor on Youth Mobilization, Mr Charles Onu alongside fifteen thugs. Trouble ensued when a sales boy to one of the market leaders tried to resist the sealing of his master’s shop. The boy was reportedly beaten to coma. He was said to have been immediately rushed to the Alex Ekwueme University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki where he took treatment and later brought back to life. Ired by this, the rest of the traders started a mild protest but which later resulted in the storming of the premises by the Police.
HOW IT ALL STARTED
According to one of the leaders of the market who didn’t want his name imprint, on the 27th of July, 2019, the chairman of the Ebonyi L.G.A, Mrs Chinyere Nwaogbaga served the traders with a quit notice which according to her would take effect from the 31st of August. Two days after the notice, he said, the governor himself announced outright revocation of the market.
“In 2001, a lease of 30 years was issued to us (the market traders) by Ebonyi L.G.A which owns the market. We still have more 12 years to occupy here going by the treaty which has not been revoked officially and even can’t be revoked without cogent reasons. That is not the issue; the price at which the governor placed the shops at the Int’l Market is what we can’t cope with. We have pleaded for a swap of the shops there since we still have 12 more years to stay here”, he said.
He continued, ” Where does he expect us to get the sum of N3.5 million each for a shop at the market? The price is too high and we can’t agree to that term. We have pleaded that he allowed us pay at most N1.5 million even as it is not everybody who can afford it since he’s hell-bent on relocating us, but he has instead increased it to a tearful N4.2 million. The whole ugly situation instead of coming down has been exacerbated by the government and we are frustrated at this point in time”.
Three days after the invasion of the market by the government forces, news came in that the private residences of the market leaders have also been confiscated and several arrests made among the leaders of the market.
Asked why it was so, another market leader who spoke under condition of anonymity alleged that the constant and unwarranted molestation and clampdown on the leaders of the market was because of the litigation established against the Government by the traders.
“The Government I can tell you is just intentionally maltreating and intimidating us. They know they can’t beat us in court and that’s why they have taken to assaulting us. The first day of this case had no Government’s representatives in attendance, not even one single person. And we are urging the security agents whom they now use to assault us to think twice and know that we are not taking laws into our hands. We have approached the court, to tell you how civil we have been with regard to this all important issue.”
The governor has a few days ago announced that he would be leading the security agents and government officials to the market on the 16th of October, 2019 to enforce the dismissal of the market traders from the sight, a development which has garnered public sympathy and criticisms owing to the fire brigade approach the Government has since taken to enforce the relocation of the traders at a very exorbitant cost.
But the traders have remained resolute and vowed not to succumb to the pressures and threats from government as they await the resolution of the court over the case before it.
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