The Day Ibo Traders In Modern Market Makurdi Watched Their Shops Being Demolished By The Government.

After the demolition: A trader stares helplessly at his demolished stall

 Emotions ran high few days ago in Makurdi the Benue State capital when the state government rolled out its bulldozers against traders at the multi-million Naira, Makurdi Modern Market.
Market stalls which traders claimed millions of Naira was expended to erect on the approval of the state were pulled down at the instance of the government. At the end of the first phase of the exercise no fewer than 40 stalls had been pulled down with goods valued at over N150 million destroyed in the process.
The action of the government sparked off angry reaction from the traders who in protest shut down the market, while spoiling for more showdown with the authorities. This development is already creating serious strain on the socio-economic life of the state.
The traders contended that the demolition of their stalls and destruction of their goods was in total negation of an earlier agreement they entered with the state government, years before the advent of the present administration.
Narrating their ordeal to newsmen in Makurdi, an amalgamated union of the traders through their chairman, Mr. Patrick Ajie, the traders lamented the action of the state government, adding that since the advent of the second tenure of the present administration they have been subjected to dehumanising treatments despite their contribution to the socio-economic growth of the state.
According to Ajie: “During the Col. Dominic Oneya administration, that government entered into an agreement with traders at the market in a 25-year lease allowing traders to erect stalls round the perimeter fence of the market in order to fortify security around the market.
“And since government is a continuum every administration in the state respected that agreement until few days ago when the government rolled out its bulldozers to pull down our stalls without notice and destroying our goods valued at over N150million.
“We are surprised that after collecting huge sums of money from traders as rent, the government failed to address the collapsing infrastructure in the market but rather resorted to this unfortunate action, it is indeed condemnable”.
In his comments, the Public Relations Officer of the traders, Mr. Emeka Ofoagbu recalled the disagreements the traders had with the state government last year over tenement rates.
He explained that the matter culminated in a legal battle and harassment of the traders by government agents.
Ofoegbu stressed, however, that the issue was eventually settled of court with assurances from the government that facilities in the market would be upgraded with proceeds from the new rates the state government introduced in the market.
“But after making us pay the new rates, nothing was done to address the dilapidated infrastructures in the market.
“We had expected that on assumption of office, the new Commissioner for Commerce and Industries would call traders in the market to a round table discussion on critical issues affecting the market.
“But we were surprised that he rather chose to embark on the demolition of stalls that were legally built by the traders themselves without recourse to any form of dialogue,” he complained.
Ofoegbu emphasized that traders had expected that  government would embark on the rebuilding of the burnt section of the market which has been abandoned for close to a decade rather than demolishing  erected structures.
Commenting, the Chairman of the Indigenous Traders Association in the state, Mr. Paul Nyarkie lamented that the action of the state government was a devastating blow to traders whose sources of livelihood have been taken away.
Brandishing several documents indicating government’s requisite approvals permitting the traders to construct the demolished stalls, Nyarkie observed that the government’s action was an utter display of recklessness.
“If this is the reward we deserve for supporting the government and contributing to the socio-economic development of Benue State, it is too bad; God is watching,” he said in an emotion-laden tone.
In his reaction however, the Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Mr. Aler Adum who claimed he ordered the demolition of the stalls informed that he would soon embark on the second phase of the demolition exercise.
Relying on the edict governing the establishment and management of the market, the Commissioner argued that he was statutorily empowered by necessary laws to demolish “illegal structures”.
He contended that though the Dominic Oneya administration authorized the construction of the stalls, the erected structures were not in the original plan of the complex.
Adum described the claims of the traders that they were not properly informed before the commencement of the demolition exercise as baseless.
According to him: “They were all served quit notices before we commenced our action; their claim is baseless.They claimed that the Col. Oneya administration entered into a 25-year lease with them, but the truth is that under the military a lot of things were done wrongly and it is glaring that law and order has gone on vacation in that market and we are determined to make things works again at that facility.
“There is no way you can right a wrong without infringing on people’s rights; as far as I am concerned what they think is their right is an illegality,”  Adum said.
He also intimated that the state government had concluded plans to commence the rehabilitation of the multi million Naira market adding that this would not come to fruition without restoring the original master plan of the market.
Adum also debunked insinuations that the demolition exercise was guided by political considerations, saying, “how can that be, when you do not have inscriptions on the faces of the traders depicting the political party they belong; those making such insinuations  are ill informed”.
The Commissioner who lament the poor rates currently being paid by the traders, said, “Government sends huge sums of money to sustain the market yet very little is generate from revenues”.
He disclosed of the decision of government to establish a limited liability company to run the market and also charge occupants of stalls appropriate rates as obtainable in markets across the country.
“All we are doing is in line with the power vested on me by law and it is aimed at restoring sanity in the market; but if they decide to challenge our action in court, we will definitely meet them there”, Adum said


source vanguard.