Suleiman Anyalewechi, Aba
Traders and shop owners whose shops were demolished to make way for the remodeling and reconstruction efforts still ongoing in some sections of the Ariaria International Market Aba, have sent out a distress call to the incoming administration of Dr Alex Otti to ensure that the original shop owners were given their stalls back at the end of the exercise.
Chief Chuka Okorie, Chairman of Ariaria Patent Medicine Dealers, sent out the Save Our Soul, SOS, message during an exclusive interactive session with NewsCritic online weekend at Aba.
According to him, the only way the Gov-elect will reciprocate and appreciate the traders unflinching support to him during the just concluded elections, is for him to ensure that justice is served to all those who require it as far as the demolished shops are concerned.
The traders outcry is coming against the backdrop of apprehensions that with the regime of Gov Okezie Ikpeazu set to wind down in a few weeks time, over 95% of the original shop owners may be losing their priced assets, mostly to political actors, their cronies and family members.
Infact, NewsCritic online findings authoritatively revealed that most of the shops under construction have already been allotted to people other than the original owners without the payment of a commensurate compensation.
This is against government earlier promise to ensure the completion of the reconstruction efforts before the end of the current regime, with the original owners having back their shops.
A former leader of the Market Union and himself a victim, who for now craved anonymity, but with a firm promise to readily volunteer all necessary information behind the exercise to the incoming Governor if the need arises, told NewsCritic that it would only take the intervention of God through the incoming Gov for the poor original shop owners to have their property back, noting that from inception the whole exercise was primed to dispossessed the shop owners.
“Let me tell you from the beginning they had already resolved to forcefully take the shops. It was one man who is simply known as Ebere that they used. This Ebere obviously fronting for the power that be brought the contactor/developer, Blessed Henken Limited. The then commissioner for Trade and Industries Chief Cosmos Ndukwe invited us to meetings severally at King Solomon Hotel on Faulks road Aba. They told us that the contractor had about N2 billion to start the project,and that in the end the original shop owners will have their property back and be paying back in installments.
“But we rejected the move because we didn’t trust them, so they left. But immediately Chief John Okiyi Kalu took over from Cosmos Ndukwe as commissioner, we the market leaders were again summoned to a meeting at Chief Emma Adaelu house, where we met others like Acho Nwakanma and even the Governor. It was at the meeting that we discovered that they had already made up their minds to take over the shops whether we liked it or not. As a result we decided to mandate some of our leaders to approach the court for an injunction but they ended up compromising them. They were giving some of the newly constructed shops with one of them currently made the Vice Chairman of Ariaria. A new set of people have been paying N6 million for the shops leaving the original owners in the lurch. I have three shops that were demolished with each costing me about N2. 5 million. Others have up to 5 and they have taken them without compensation,” the source revealed.
Speaking with NewsCritic Reporter on the development last week, the government appointed Chairman of the market, Chief Chijioke Michael Amuta said although he is new on the job, he is aware of the rumour making the rounds that some people have been paying money for the new shops. He explained that due to the rumour, himself and the new executive had to visit the Ministry of Trade and Investment on April 12, 2023 .
According to him, the ministry while denying the development, however said it is a healthy sign as it has shown that people are interested in the project. He noted that the ministry also assured that all original shop owners will have their shops back.