Traders at the Akpan Andem market in Uyo have expressed displeasure over what they label as “oppressive and exploitative antics by successive Uyo Local Government Council, especially the current Transition Chairman, Hon. (Barr.) Mfon Ben.”
Speaking under the aegis of Concerned Traders of Akpan Andem Market, they declared that the current transition committee chairman has hijacked the traders’ welfare organization structure by dissolving its committee and went further to replace them with his stooges for reason that they (committee) complained the deplorable condition of the market to His Excellency, the governor.
They alleged that the thugs have been dehumanizing them by seizing and stealing their goods openly without respect to the rule of law.
The traders also decried the issue of multiple taxation, introduction of gambling by granting permission to R & S Lotto agents after collecting huge sum of money, poor sanitation despite payment of heavy sanitation levies and non-existent water supply.
“There is no water supply in the market to feed the market toilets and over fifty percent of the market platforms have collapsed, the reason traders are selling by the roadside.
“The Market Master Plan has been altered by the council/ agents by erecting structures even on top of soak-away, blocking drainage system”, they revealed.
The traders also disclosed to our correspondent that cases concerning over 50 shops that are pending in courts, that the suits were instituted by individuals under government cover against the traders (shop owners) even after the traders had paid the sum of three hundred thousand (N300,000) each to Uyo Local Government Council and Certificate of Ownership duly issued to them by the council.
It was revealed that on November 4, the council boss during an inspection tour of the market declared that he has converted the Traders’ Welfare Office built by the state government for the traders to his personal use with immediate effect.
The traders demanded that Hon. Ben should relinquish control of the market to a consultancy firm to manage it on behalf of the traders and the council in order to restore sanity and stability in the market.
They also called on the state government, human rights activists, civil society groups and security agents to come to their aid by putting an end to what they termed ‘political patronage.’
Efforts to reach the council boss proved abortive as he neither answered mobile phone calls nor replied text messages sent to him as at press time.
By Ofonime Honesty
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