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Shop closures: Normalcy returns to Enugu metropolis after traders protest
Economic activities have returned to the Enugu metropolis after protest by some traders from Ogbete Main Market, Enugu, against sealing of their shops by the state government.
The traders in the protest, which started at about 9a.m. and lasted for about three hours, stopped vehicular and human activities along the Market Road, Ogui Road, and Okpara Avenue.
They were chanting and carrying placards with inscriptions “Gov. Mbah Unseal Our Shops for Peace to Reign”, “We Are Not Under Your Employ”; “You Will Not Dictate for Us How We Manage Our Lives” and “Mind the Governance in the State and Let Us Be”.
Some shops and banks on the roads closed their businesses for fear of apparent attacks by protesters.
Reacting, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state command, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, who confirmed the protest, said that the police in collaboration with other security agencies had maintained law and order in the state.
The command advised the traders to channel their grievances through appropriate and legitimate quarters.
“Normalcy has been restored at Ogbete Market Enugu and its surroundings, following the report of protest by some traders over the sealing of their shops by the state government.
“It was alleged that those whose shops were sealed attempted to force others, whose shops were not sealed, to close theirs and the entire market and join in the protest.
The initially peaceful protest was however, hijacked and made to become violent.
‘Traders in the market and citizens alike have been pleaded with to remain law-abiding, peaceful and cooperative, while using approved channels to express their grievances.
‘Full-scale investigation has been initiated on the orders of the Commissioner of Police, while further development, especially as it concerns reports of alleged casualties being circulated, will be communicated as soon as possible,” he said.
Speaking, a trader, Mr Innocent Eke, said that they were protesting the forceful and illegal sealing and closure of many shops in the market for not opening for business on Monday.
“The government is the authority in the state, we all understand this; however, the law also specify government’s boundaries,” Eke said.
Another trader, Mazi Nnamdi Onyekachi, said, “this is a democracy and the government must be civil in its approach on issues affecting the people at all times.
A trader who simply identified himself as Emeka told NAN that the protest started when traders whose shops were sealed by the state government on Monday found their shops locked with different keys.
He said that angered by the development, they embarked on a protest condemning the government actions.
NAN recalled that Enugu State Government On Monday sealed over 100 shops including two banks for observing the banned illegal sit at home order.
Among the shops affected were 78 at Ogbete Main market, including two banks located inside the market, 24 at Old Artisan Market, five at the SPAR Mall.
The exercise was carried out by the state government led by the governor, Mr Peter Mbah and the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA).
The Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, had in a statement on Tuesday in Enugu said that all businesses that were sealed shall remain sealed for one week.
According to him, at the end of one week, the owners shall provide their current tax clearance certificates and all other relevant revenue documents to enable the state government to review and consider their formal letters for re-opening.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Anambra State Sector Command, has confirmed the death of a woman in an accident at Okpoko Market on the Asaba-Onitsha Road.
The Sector Commander, Mr Adeoye Irelewuyi, who confirmed the accident to journalists in Awka on Thursday, said that the woman was hit while she was crossing the road.
He said that the accident, which occurred on Wednesday, involved a commercial tow truck with registration number XA550BMA.
“Eyewitness report reaching us indicates that the truck was towing a vehicle in an uncontrollable speed along the axis.
“The vehicle that was being towed got detached from the tow truck.
“It hit and killed a female adult, who was said to be crossing the road, while the tow truck continued its movement.
“FRSC rescue team came to the scene and took the woman to Toronto Hospital, Onitsha, where she was confirmed dead and her body deposited at the hospital’s mortuary,” he said.
While sympathising with the family of the dead, the sector commander urged motorists, especially tow truck drivers, to exercise a high level of professionalism.
He also urged the drivers to always use standard equipment and avoid speeding.
The Chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Lagos State Chapter, Mr Mojeed Iyiola, said the state government’s maize palliative to members of the association made a positive impact on the sector.
Iyiola said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.
“We received about 150,000 tons of maize in February from the Lagos State government as palliative to cushion the effect of high feed prices.
“The major benefit of the palliative is that it actually cushioned the cost of production for most poultry farmers in the state.
“The palliative was beneficial as it made the cost of some poultry produce, especially eggs to drop,” Iyiola said.
He noted that prior to the palliative, a crate of egg was sold between N3,500 and N3,700 at the farm gate, but after the palliative, it now sells between N3,200 and N3,400.
According to the PAN chair, retailers and middlemen who sell from N3,800 to N4,200 do that for their personal gain.
“We have urged our members to sell their eggs at reasonable prices following the receipt of the palliative from the government.
“We appreciate the Lagos State government for the palliative but we also urge the federal government to do likewise, to further reduce the cost of production in the sector.
“This will consequently lead to drop in the prices of all poultry produce across board,” he said.
He said the palliative was shared among financial members of the association at no extra cost.
“As an association we shared the grains equally across PAN’s eight zones in the state equally. We also mandated each zone not the sell even a grain of the maize.
“We, however, considered new poultry farmers who wanted to the join the association as beneficiaries of the palliative,” said Iyiola.
He noted that through the palliative, more poultry farmers were recruited into the association.
“The maize was shared only to poultry farmers and not feed millers, it is the major component of poultry feed formulation,” he said.
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