Traders of Onitsha Building Materials Traders’ Association/Allied Products Dealers Association, Bridge head market, Anambra State, took to the major roads in protest against alleged Navy, Special Anti-Touting Squad, SASA, Ocha Brigade ,police and Udo Ga Achi Vigilante operatives including plot by 8 Market Unions Nteje, to relocate them from their market.
The protesters, some of who carried placards with the inscription,
“Gov. Soludo rescue us from extortion by Navy, police, SASA, Ocha Brigade, Udo Ga Achi vigilante group"
"we are not part of 8 market Union Nteje"
"Nteje market Union wants to relocate us"
"Gov. Soludo we hope on you to rescue us" "Nteje market is personal market, we are part and parcel of Bridge head market"
"our market is not among those to move to Nteje,” among others.
Addressing newsmen during the protest, the chairman of Onitsha Building Materials Traders’ Association, OBMTA, Chief Chikodili Ejiofor, lamented that the accused security operatives barricaded the entry and exit Uga road leading to their market despite the fact that they are not part of the Onitsha Ogbogwu (drug) market shut by National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC.
He said, “Today we resolve to have a peaceful protest against the extortion of our members by Navy, Police, SASA, Ocha Brigade,Udo Ga Achi, and others. They barricaded the Uga road that leads to our market and if you want to pass with your wares you will be forced to pay #250,000, #350,000, #200,000, it depends on how you bargain with them but not less than #200,000. Because they barricaded the road we lost our customers"
"They are doing all these to frustrate us because they are being sponsored by the 8 Market Union Nteje who want us to join them by force. As it is now, the members of the 8 market Union have parked out to Nteje but still they want us to join them."
“We don’t have shops there, it is a personal market that they established at Nteje. We are on our own and Governor Soludo when he came around some time said we are not part of those that are said to relocate for free flow of traffic.
“Our plea is that Governor Soludo should come to our rescue by prevailing on the purported security operatives who have worsened our condition by the extortion. They are sponsored by the 8 Market Union Nteje.
“The 8 Market Union should leave us alone, the Bridgehead Market chairman and Onitsha South Local Government area chairman are all aware of our complaints and have maintained that we are not part of those relocating to Nteje that is a personal market,” he stated.
Speaking, chairman of Allied Products Dealers Association, Chief Christian Obulu, disclosed that they have been in the market for 52 years of the existence of the market, adding that the intimidation and extortion by the security operatives is much that the government should come to their rescue now that they blocked the only major road.
” Since 14 January we have been suffering this intimidation and extortion. We know that if governor Soludo comes to our rescue this problem will be over,”
0 Comments