By Chukwudi Ebele
No fewer than 2,000 traders of Onitsha Building Materials Traders’ Association/Allied Productive Dealers Association, Bridge head market, Anambra State, Wednesday, took to the major roads in protest against alleged Navy, Special Anti-Touting Squad, SASA, Ocha Brigade, police, and Udo Ga Achi Vigilante operatives including and plot by 8 Market Unions Nteje, to eject them from their market.
The protesters, some of who carried placards with the inscription, “Gov. Soludo rescue us from extortion by Navy, police, SASA, Ocha Brigade, Udo Ga Achi vigilante group, extortionists are in payroll of 8 Market Union Nteje, we are not part of 8 market Union Nteje, Nteje market Union wants to intimidate us, , Gov. Soludo we hope on you to rescue us, Nteje market is personal market, we are part and parcel of Bridge head market, our market is not among those to move to Nteje,” among others.
Addressing newsmen during the protest, the chairman of Onitsha Building Materials Traders’ Association, OBMTA, Chief Chikodili Ejiofor, lamented that the accused security operatives barricaded the entry and exit Uga road leading to their market despite the fact that they are not part of the Onitsha Ogbogwu (drug) market shut by National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC.
His words, “Today we resolve to have a peaceful protest against the extortion of our members by Navy, Police, SASA, Ocha Brigade,Udo Ga Achi, and others. They barricaded the Uga road that leads to our market and if you want to pass with your wares you will be forced to pay #250000, #350000, #200000, it depends on how you bargain with them but not less than #200,000. Because they barricaded the road we lost our customers.
“They are doing all these to frustrate us because they are being sponsored by the 8 Market Union Nteje who want us to join them by force. As it is now the members of the 8 market Union have parked out to Nteje but still they want us to join them. We don’t have shops there, it is a personal market that they established at Nteje. We are on our own and Governor Soludo when he came around some time said we are not part of those that are said to relocate for free flow of traffic.
“Our plea is that Governor Soludo should come to our rescue by prevailing on the purported security operatives who have worsened our condition by the extortion. They are sponsored by the 8 Market Union Nteje. The 8 Market Union should leave us alone, the Bridgehead Market chairman and Onitsha South Local Government area chairman are all aware of our complaints and have maintained that we are not part of those relocating to Nteje that is a personal market,” he stated.
Speaking, chairman of Allied Products Dealers Association, Chief Christian Obulu, disclosed that they have been in the market for 52 years the market is in existence adding that the intimidation and extortion by the security operatives is much that the government should come to their rescue now that they blocked the only major road.
” Since 14 January we have been suffering this intimidation and extortion. We know that if governor Soludo comes to our rescue this problem will be over,” he stated.
In his own contribution, a chieftain of the market, Chukwuchebem Muorah, said, “Since 14th January this year till today we have been suffering in the hands of the Navy, police, SASA, Ocha Brigade, Udo Ga Achi, among others and we want governor Soludo to help us. December is approaching and government wants us to pay our storage levies. From where will we get the money with this intimidation and extortion by these security operatives
“Governor Soludo please stop these security men from blocking us in our business. What they, extortionists want from us is much. We have not gotten our freedom for months now because 8 Market Union Nteje bribed the security men to force us out of our market to Nteje market. Our wares are different from theirs and they have packed out, why are they disturbing bus,” he lamented
Also reacting, Sir John Onyeagasi, a chieftain, said he has been in the market since 1975 disclosing that Nteje market where they are being forced to relocate to is a personal market that is not like their own market that is owned by state government.
“They vowed that by January this year they will deal with us and eventually they have done what they vowed by using all manners of security to intimidate, extorti, and block the road to our market and it is telling on us because our customers have diverted to Asaba and other neighboring towns.
“They just want to remove us from government market where we are to private market to extort us in the name of relocation to a better place and we say no. Governor Soludo please help us out,” he pleaded.
An elder , Ogbaru Kinsley, urged Soludo to come to their rescue saying that the problem staeted December when the traders of Nteje vowed that they will deal with them if they refuse to join them at Nteje.
“So this year they employed the services of Navy, police, Ocha Brigade, SASA, Udo GA Achi and others to extort us, barricade the road to our market and we pay between #350000 to 500000 to be allowed to pass and if you complain they ask you to go to Nteje and join those there.
“They used money to stop our petition to government so that governor Soludo and others will help us. Till now they are still using the security men against us and Soludo should help us out,” he pleaded.
Speaking, Chief Vernatius Moneke, a chieftain, stated that the members of Nteje market claimed that government ordered them to shut our market for refusing to join them which according to him is false and unfounded.
“We asked them to show prove that government wants us to vacate government market and relocate to private market at Nteje where one person has up to 100 shops. They want to extort us and they use security to achieve it
“The press should help us because it is from the press that government should hear us since they use money to stop our petition. So this protest will go a long way in assisting to expose their attrocities against us,” he said
In his own contribution, Chukwukaelo Ezediniru, said the traders were not fighting Soludo but rather help him to keep the market clean and inorder adding that those disturbing them claimed to have been doing so based on order from Soludo which according to him is false and unfounded.