Uyo’s urban Market located in the heart of the main town has no doubt attracted wide patronage of sellers and buyers since its inception and has brought about a tremendous pool of commerce due to the convergence of those concerned in commercial activities.
The market which was built to provide a means of income generation outlet for commercial traders after the then Uyo market was demolished became reputable and effective in its essential aim of providing employment for skilled workers.
Indeed, there has been a boom in the market following its strategic location beside the stadium, and good road network to boosts its activities. The market has no unique day of operation but items can surely be bought at subsidized rates in the early hours of the morning. This explains why the throng of buyers in the market at mornings is twice as much as that of the afternoon.
However, one disadvantage of the morning market is that it does pose a threat to the health of sellers and buyers who converge there for transaction.
Akpan Andem market has struggled to keep clean ever since its inception. From the unauthorised parking and selling of items in restricted areas to the dumping of refuges and sewages in all places, the market totally defies neatness. Surprisingly, the market has been an abode for importers and exporters who daily supply essentials to both local producers of commodities, wholesalers and retailers alike.
Similarly, consumers who are frequent at the market are not the least bothered by the deplorable condition of the market which is unarguably detrimental to their health. Perhaps, a reaction to the appalling condition of the market by a joint force of consumers would have by now; put an end to the eyesore. But alas, no one seems to find anything unhealthy about the market.
The Fire Service area of the market by the Udoumana entrance is a worse representation of oddity as it defies all appearances of cleanliness. Sellers and buyers walk through dirty stinking mud to access stores and other destinations. The same goes for the Ndiya entrance where heaps of rubbishes lie graciously on the road meant for pedestrians after being over filled with sewages. It is characteristic of the market to find a number of sellers seated on clothings beside heaps of refuse with their goodies sprawled before them. Some even display their wares on the thick mucus of mud splashed around for carefree buyers.
Another sorry and disgusting sight is the lackadaisical movement of people in and out of the muddied market with no amount of delicacy or conscientiousness that one would be so lucky to have visited the market and returned without splashes of mud on the shopping bag, their legs and clothes.
Sellers carry out their activities with glee not minding the stench and distasteful look of it and are always ready to scoup and pour a portion of it at unwilling buyers.
One of the developmental strategies of a market is in its ability to keep clean and stay hygienic- an attribute Akpan Andem is totally devoid of. Except the structures, everything about Akpan Andem market is distasteful. The gutters, the roadsides, the parks, and what have you.
When the Flood Preventive Measures was flagged-off last year, the Commissioner for Environment and Mineral Resources, Prince Enobong Uwah and his entourage had gone round major flood-prone areas of the state; delisting and unblocking drainages to mitigate the effects of heavy down pour earlier forecasted by the Nigerian Meteorological Service. Heaps of refuse left on Ndiya Street at Akpan Andem Market were carted away.
All of these were to ensure that the gutters and drainage channels are free from blockages that would pose a challenge to the free flow of water.
Sadly, things have not taken any different shape since that evacuation. The market gutters are still filled with debris and rubbish and water ways have long been filled to the brim with refuse, bringing it to the same level with the roads that one wonders if there was any trace of a Gutter therein.
The same spot where heaps of sewages and refuses were evacuated now is a sorry sight. The stench of the odour, the magnitude of the heap and its gradual encroachment into the main road is scaring, not to mention the undisputable fact that the gutters will surely resist water when the rains come falling.
One wonders what the market task force does with the huge amounts it gets from the sellers at all times. If the levies are not used for the development of the market, where then lies the essence of the collection? Even the conveniences are as good as nonexistent because they are not hygienic.
Another risk imminent of the market is the risk of fire outbreak which is a recurring decimal in similar markets. There are no provisions for fire extinguishers which should be placed at strategic locations within the market or a mini-fire station around the market to prevent a possible fire outbreak.
Akpan Andem market which has become a reference points for other markets in the state urban should be provided with an extraordinary environment worthy of its standing to attract more patronage and economic growth. The Government must therefore see the need to project more of the market’s potentials to citizens through the maintenance of the market economy moreso, the fact that it is the only mega market in Uyo.
The host community should also be at the fore to enhance the safe hygiene of the market by contributing its quota to the health condition of the market. It is also very important to observe that the public convenience in this market deserves applause. The market committee has employed the services of able cleaners who are up and doing to ensure that the place is kept tidy.
It should not be mentioned that a market with such deplorable condition exists under the uncommon transformation administration era where uncleanliness is an unwelcomed guest.
This therefore is a clarion call to the ministries of Health and Environment to seek a redress to the plight of users of this market. An unhealthy environment harbours sickness and the Ebola scourge which is still high should not be given a chance to breathe even in public places as vulnerable as Akpan Andem. The government of the state should also see to the intervention of the market’s condition as it is a negative story on its records.
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