Members of the Magala Fish Arewa Market Association, a section of the popular Ogbete Main Market, Enugu, have begged the Governor, Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, to reopen the main gate leading to the section of the market.
South East Trust was reliably informed that the traders in that section of the market have been passing through difficult times since six months now the gate was locked by the Local Government Authority following the lockdown occasioned by the outbreak of Coronavirus.
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“It has not been easy.
“Even now the market has been reopened by the governor, the gate is still under lock and key.
“The wheelbarrow pushers are finding it extremely difficult to push their loads into the market for the traders.
“The trucks conveying goods from the northern part of the country cannot access the market rather they are forced to park outside the gate while the traders struggle with their goods which they carry on their shoulders and heads to trek from outside the gate into the main market,” one of the traders, Musa Abubakar, told our correspondent.
Another trader, Isah Ibrahim hoped that the governor would come to their rescue in the same way he recovered and returned their 40-year-old market portion to them after reopening of markets in the state.
“Carrying bags of onions or fish or tomatoes on the shoulders from outside the gate and struggling to bring them into the market is quite a hectic.
“Let them open the gate so that trucks can bring the goods into the market.
“We have suffered a great deal,” he added.
The Chairman of the association, Alhaji Kaka Waziri, however, commended Gov Ugwuanyi for giving them back their section of the market that was reportedly “grabbed by the council authority”.
He said they were happy now their members have returned to their original portion from New Market, Enugu where they were asked to relocate when the Ogbette Market was closed.
Waziri also explained that the governor did not only return them to the market but equally handed over the market portion to the association adding, “he also directed us to go ahead and build the market structure as well”.
He said: “We are happy and the entire Ogbete Market had been jubilating since Monday when we came back from New Market, Enugu where the governor earlier directed us to stay during the heat of the COVID-19.
“Now, Gov. Ugwuanyi has also directed that we return as well as build the structure of our choice in the original land portion belonging to the association since 1981.
“As an association, we are very grateful to Gov. Ugwuanyi’s love and kindness to us and by extension the Arewa (Hausa) community.
“Ugwuanyi remains a man of the people and the voice of the voiceless in the state.”
Waziri assured the governor of the association and Huasa community’s support to his policies and programmes, adding that the association’s executive would ensure strict compliance to the COVID-19 protocols in the state.
The Chairman of Landlords Association, Mr Ignatius Udeh, said that the return of the Arewa traders to their original spot would reduce the price of magala fish in the state.
He said: “We thank the governor for directing the association back and gave us free hand to go ahead to build our market.
“However, I appeal to the governor to open the Akwatta Main Gate leading to the market to allow trucks to bring in goods into the market with ease.”
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