By: Chuks Ogbu 

The traders at Ekeoha Market Aba otherwise known as shopping center on thursday expressed their displeasure over   the mode and process of the remodeling and re-allocation of the shops to the traders.

 

Speaking to the media on thursday at the sidelines of an inspection at the construction site led by the Commissioner for Trade and Commerce, Mr. Kingsley Nwokocha the Special Adviser to the governor on trade and commerce Chief Nwaka Inem, a well known trader by the name Mr Anosike Innocent expressed his dismay over the process of re-allocating the shops and the N10 million price tag for each of the shops "we are aware that our amiable governor Dr Alex Chioma Otti is a listening governor who cares a lot about the people he governs, we call on the governor to please review the process of this remodeling going on at this market".

Speaking further Mr Anosike Innocent added "I doubt if he knows about the nefarious activities going on at the market, could you believe that the traders have been asked to provide the sum of 10 million naira to be re-alloted   their shops or accept the option of selling their re-allocation documents for as low as 800 thousand naira? this is so unfortunate".

"Even when some traders took their complains to the market executives, the chairman of the market Mr Emeka Okeke told us that they have already started selling the shops to new owners since last year" .

 

"Another one is the standard of this structure, this structure is so substandard and way below the previous structure which was constructed over four decades ago,  when the market remodeling was flagged off we were told the quality would be of high standard but the reverse is now the case".

"So we call on the governor to intervene because this is by no means  the hope his administration promised" said Mr Anosike Innocent.

Another respondent Mr Gerald Nwokeji also added his voice " so sad that we the traders are on the verge of losing our shops due to the outrageous sum of 10 million naira they are asking for before the re-allot our shops back to us".

"I don't know why so many individuals in government seem to have interest in this market, especially those who used to be a part of us that we voted to represent us at the State House Of Assembly have instead returned coming to hunt us" he said 

"So we call on our amiable governor Dr Alex Chioma Otti to intervene in this affair " Mr Nwokeji concludes.