Anger as Umahi orders popular market’s shutdown

The Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, on Thursday, ordered the re-sealing of the popular Abakpa Main Market, Abakaliki, pending the permanent resolution of the crisis between the state government and the traders.

The government and the traders had been at daggers drawn over the alleged non-remittance of necessary levies by the traders.

The face-off allegedly led to the death of one of the traders on August 28, 2019, when persons suspected to be agents of the government invaded the market and clashed with the traders.

The incident had led to the sealing off of the market, while the traders sued the state government to court.

But state government, three weeks ago, directed that the market should be opened.

However, Umahi said the market would only be reopened when the traders withdrew the case filed against the government, adding that the activities of the traders must be streamlined.

Umahi said during a meeting with traders at the Government House in Abakaliki that he had no interest in the market, but was only working to put it at par with others across the country.

The governor, who said hitherto the traders had been directed to move to the Margaret Umahi International Market, Abakaliki, where enough space had been provided for them, maintained that their reluctance showed that they were not ready to move.

He stated that the Abakpa Main Market would now be designated as the Ebonyi State Fruits and Vegetable Market, saying that the October 15, 2019, deadline for the traders to relocate to the International Market had been shifted to January 10, 2020. Punch