Traders in Enugu recount losses as Ogbette Main Market reopens

Traders doing business at  Ogbete Main Market, recently re-opened  by the Enugu State government, following an earlier order to stem the spread of COVID-19, are recounting their losses as they returned to pick up their businesses.

As some of them said, they were happy with the resumption of business. Others recounted some losses and damage  they incurred while the market remained closed.

A popular trader,  Mama Azu (Mother of Fish), who deals in stock fish, claimed that three bags of stock fish she left in her shade got missing and lost another two to rats and other rodents.

She said: “Rats finished my fish. I bought several bags of stock fish, but because we closed, these rats ate all of them. What was left was chaff and I threw them away.’’

Another trader, Mr. Chibuike Okoye , who sells cloth said  rainstorm blew off the roof of his shop, thereby exposing all his goods.

“Aside not selling all through, I returned to see that some part of the roof of my shop was blown off by rainstorm. It caused much damage among my goods. I’m trying to salvage the ones I can. We are happy that we have resumed after almost two months of closure. It was a worthwhile sacrifice because life is more important than any other thing.”

However, some traders said they were already expecting brisk sales after resuming.

A cloth seller, Nnamdi Nwobosi, told our reporter that “I have goods and I expect sales soon. I have reached out to my customers for patronage. There is no price increase, but it can still be possible because inter-state travels remain banned.

Our reporter observed that both the traders and buyers in the market generally wear face masks and are made to observe all safety rules in accordance with the guidelines of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control.

The chairman of the traders Association, Mr  John Okechukwu Eze, said: “We have an enforcement team already. No shop is allowed to contain more than three customers at the same time. Shops must also provide hand sanitisers and washing tools. We go from shop to shop, and defaulters will be brought to book.’’