Over 10,000 traders of ARIARIA international market recently displaced from the market as a result of the reconstruction work going on have said they are stranded and exploited at their temporary base, the Ecumi Plaza.

 

They said apart from the plaza being filled up already, they are being forced to pay as much as between 300,000 and 400,000 naira for a shop for a period 3 months a situation which they said has made things more difficult for them as most of them cannot afford to pay such a rent even as the market authorities have described the claim as not only a blatant lie but a calculated attempt at blackmailing the Abia state government and a deliberate ploy to sabotage the good intention of the state government.

 

The traders at the A, C and Medicine lines were forced to vacate temporarily the 47 year old market last Monday following the expiration of the deadline given to them by the Abia State government to leave on or before September 5.

 

In an interview with ALL FACTS NEWSPAPER spokesman for the traders McMillan Okereke lamented that due the short period given to them to vacate the market most of the traders lost a sizable part of their goods to the demolition exercise as they were not able to evacuate all their goods before government bulldozers moved in.

 

“Besides as we were moving government did not make a proper arrangement for alternative place. The place they asked us to go ECUN plaza does not have enough shops and for the few shops available we are being asked to pay as much as 400,000 from September to December. The major problem is that due to the short notice given to us we did not have enough time to make adequate arrangement for alternative place.” Okereke stated.

 

The trader’s spokesman fears that if nothing is done urgently to assist and ameliorate the present ordeal of the traders especially as it concerns the prohibitive shop rent at the ECUN plaza most of them will soon close shop., However in a swift reaction the market authorities debunked the traders claim describing it as not only untrue but a cheap blackmail aimed at sabotaging the state government.

 

Speaking with ALL FACTS NEWSPAPER, Hon. Frank Moses the Vice Chairman of ARIARIA Amalgamated Traders Association ALMATA said contrary to the traders claim the cost of an average shop at Ecumi plaza is between 90,000, and 95,000naira adding that there enough shops for those who really want them.

“the problem with us is that we don’t want change especially if that change is for good. Let me state it clearly that in the first place everybody, all stake holders including the traders were carried along in the process of taking the decision to reconstruct the market. The process began last year. All the stakeholders held several meetings with the Governor before the September date was agreed.

 

Again, the traders were given 21days to relocate a time frame which was enough to evacuate whatever they may have in the shops. But the fact is that some of them thought that the government is not serious about the whole thing and so were caught napping.

 

Furthermore, I am a trader at this market and my shop was one of those affected .Last week I paid for a shop at Ecumi plaza 90,000 naira. So, anybody claiming that shops are being rented out at the cost of between 300,000, and 400,000 naira is either being mischievous and out to sabotage this lofty project by the Abia State government “Hon Moses stated.

 

However, ALL FACTS NEWSPAPER findings revealed that before now the cost of an average at Ecumi plaza hovered between 45,000 and 50,000naira annually. While those inside ARIARIA Was between 90,000and100,000 naira. But with the recent development which has resulted in a situation where many traders are chasing few shops the traders who are lucky to see available space pay as much as 400,000 naira. Findings equally showed that shops owners at the plaza before now are making very brisk business by way of renting out their shops to desperate DISPLACED traders who all the same prefer the Ecumi plaza to other places due to its proximity to the main market for fear of losing their customer base.

 

Anyalewechi Suleiman  Aba