By Ugochukwu Alaribe

UMUAHIA- Traders at the Ekeoha market in Aba, Abia State, have cried to Governor Alex Otti to intervene over the alleged illegal demolition and high cost of shops in the market, which is undergoing remodelling.

The traders alleged that the company handling the remodelling of the market has failed to abide by the agreement reached with the traders, which involves funding for alternative shops for displaced traders and a stoppage of more demolition until the demolished areas are rebuilt.

However, Vanguard gathered that the state government had scheduled a meeting with the representatives of the traders and the developers with the Chief of Staff to the Governor.

Grand Patron of the Ekeoha market traders’ association, Chief Barth Azubuike Madubuko, told Vanguard,in an interview, that about 2,000 displaced traders are loitering around the market as they have nowhere to stay , adding that the developers have continued to demolish more shops, causing suffering to the traders.

He said the demolished area accommodated more than 2,000 traders, while the place provided for them as a temporary area at the GSM market could not accommodate more than 200 traders.

Madubuko, who is also a former chairman of the market association, alleged that some displaced traders are surrendering their allocation papers for amounts ranging from N1 million to N800,000 because they were told that they would not be able to afford the cost of the remodelled shops.

This, he said, is contrary to the agreement where the displaced traders were told that their shops will be returned to them after the remodelling works.

He said;” You don’t need a prophet to tell you that the traders are not happy with what is happening at Ekeoha market. You can feel their grievances. We embraced the remodelling of the market because of the fact that Governor Alex Otti has a clear vision for the market and the Aba community.

” Some traders went to court to challenge it, but we pleaded with them to soft-pedal since the Governor was involved. But we are surprised that things are not working out as we expected. Demolition of shops should stop because enough demolition has taken place. Over 2,000 displaced traders are loitering around the market because there is no place for them to stay, contrary to the agreement that temporary shops will be provided for them. Now, we are hearing that the remodelled shops are being sold for N10 million to outsiders, contrary to the agreement that the displaced traders will be offered their shops with a choice of first refusal.

“We demand that the remodelling of the shops should be completed before being offered for sale. Displaced traders are frustrated and panicking. Some of them have started selling off their allocation papers for N1 million or N800,000 in frustration because they are being told that they can’t afford the remodelled shops at N10 million. All these are happening even when we have representatives in the tripartite committee set up for the remodelling. There is too much confusion; no trader knows his fate. We are like people who are being duped. This is why we are calling on Dr. Alex Otti, who is a listening Governor, to intervene and institute a panel of inquiry to uncover why these abnormalities are taking place.”

Also speaking ,another former chairman of the market association, who served between 2020 and 2022, Mr. Ikechukwu Nwafor,said the traders are not happy because the ongoing construction is substandard, compared to the demolished structures.

Expressing fear that over 70% of the traders may lose their shops after the remodelling, Nwafor tasked the state government to direct the developers to stop more construction of shops until the issues are resolved.

In an interview with Vanguard,one of the displaced traders ,who gave her name as Mrs Edith Agu, said she has nowhere to display her goods and has lost hope of retaining her shop because of the N10 million allegedly being demanded by the developers.