Original allottees of A-Line, B-Line and WWLS section of Ariaria international market, Aba are still agitating for what they described as illegal re-allocation and selling of their shops after demolition and remodeling by Abia State Government.
The market has been facing myriad of challenges of flooding, overcrowding and poor access roads for several years as a result of indiscriminate erection of shops.
The traders who staged a peaceful demonstration to the Abia State Governor’s private residence in Nvosi, Isiala-Ngwa South Local Government area where they demanded to see Governor Alex Otti.
Carrying placards with different inscriptions like ‘’We have not been given our shops back’’, ‘’Money bags have taken over our shops’’, they maintained that over forty 40 traders have died since September, 2021 when their shops were demolished due to shock as the developer is selling the remodeled sections to highest bidder.
One of the traders, Kingsley Iheanacho, alleged that the developers in connivance with the former executives of the market are “selling out their shops on a regular basis in contravention to an MOU that they would be considered first.
“We are here because of our shops that were demolished since 2021, the government promised that we shall have the shops back after the work but what we are seeing now is different,” he disclosed.
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Another trader, Ngozi Uchendu said the government has remodeled some sections of the market and are selling to those they find worthy at exorbitant price. We are to know whether, it is the Governor that approved the sale of the shops”.
Addresses by government officials including the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ukoha NjoKu Ukoha, did not pacify the angry traders who insisted on getting an address by only the Governor.
They said the distrust is coming from Abia State government’s inaction after several promises and a directive by the Abia State Governor. Although, the demonstration ended at about 5.30pm after 6 hours, the traders vowed to return until they get governor Otti’s attention.
Recall that Governor Otti had promised that original owners of the shops would have the right of first refusal to the remodeled shops before any other person, but the directive has not gone down well with the developers as the traders lament the exorbitant cost of available space.
