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Tag: market

  • Appraising the stride to give Ariaria International Market a facelift

    By Okechukwu Keshi Ukegbu

    Barring any unforeseen circumstances and other things being equal, the popular Ariaria International Market, in Aba, the hub of commerce in Abia State, in a question of months ahead, will hear a new and complete look.
    This is as Abia State government has marshalled out plans and actions to remodel the market.

    Part of the plans is the recent directive issued by Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu to commence the redevelopment work in A-Line, C-Line and Medical Line.

    The redevelopment work will embrace the reconstruction of internal roads, new drains for proper storm water channeling and new ultra-modern shops with car parks, police and fire service posts. Also accommodated in first phase redevelopment plan are works on A-Line and associated lock up shops, C-Line, Surgical Line up to Enyimba gate, kitchen utensils shops and Medical Line. The actions are expected to be concluded with minimal disruptions to trading activities at the other lines.
    It is further directed that all existing allottees affected by the redevelopment work must be returned to their shops as a matter of utmost priority before new off takers are considered. And to ensure a smooth implementation of this plan, the governor has approved a project implementation and monitoring committee drawn from the state Ministry of Trade and Investment, the traditional institution and youths leader of the affected community, representatives from the affected local government areas, representatives from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Abia State Chapter, Department of State Security Services, Area Commander of Aba Area Police Command, among others. The committee is to be chaired by the state commissioner for information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu.

    It is further directed that all existing allottees affected by the redevelopment work must be returned to their shops as a matter of utmost priority before new off takers are considered. And to ensure a smooth implementation of this plan, the governor has approved a project implementation and monitoring committee drawn from the state Ministry of Trade and Investment, the traditional institution and youths leader of the affected community, representatives from the affected local government areas, representatives from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Abia State Chapter, Department of State Security Services, Area Commander of Aba Area Police Command, among others. The committee is to be chaired by the state commissioner for information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu.

    While the verification of the list of allotees is to be reviewed to ensure that omissions and other errors are corrected is carried out, those affected in this phase of the work are expected to remove their wares to ensure that work takes off in earnest to enable a completion target of first week of December this year.


    It will be recalled that the establishment of the market was the aftermath of the fire incident that gutted the Ekeoha Market in Aba in the 1970s. Though nobody accorded it the chances of survival due to its location in a swampy outskirt of Aba, Ariaria has grown to become, arguably the largest market East of the Niger. It assumed the status of a one-stop market where goods are bought in retail or bulk in good prices.

    Ariaria cuts across three local government areas of Aba North,Aba South and Osisioma, and countries both in West and Central Africa such as Cameroun and Gabon are served by the market. The market is the largest shoemaking cluster in Africa and is divided into over 85 zones specialising in specific articles of trade for easy shopping.
    Periods well before the emergence of Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration, the market was arguably not in its best shape in terms of facilities, and this has bothered Gov. Ikpeazu so much that he has initiated laudable plans to remodel the market in order to fulfill his campaign promise to address the deplorable condition of the market.
    To allay the fears of traders, the governor has continually assured them that equity and fair play would be deployed in their fullest in the exercise.

  • A’Ibom traders threaten to shut market over N163m goods seized by Customs

    A’Ibom traders threaten to shut market over N163m goods seized by Customs

    By Samuel Ogenyi, Uyo

    Traders at Itam market in Uyo metropolis have threatened to close their shops in protest for N163m worth of goods and money allegedly seized by custom officials last weekend. 

    Speaking to newsmen in Uyo on Wednesday, the Chairman Board of Trustees( BOT) of Itam market and Special Assistant to the Chairman of Itu LGA Mr. Godwin Ebong  said custom officials accompanied by Soldiers and  DSS operatives stormed the market last Friday carting away  goods and cash from shops worth N163m.

    ” It was on Friday night about 11 pm , one of the Night Guards called my line that some armed robbers have were in the market. They said “robbers ” broke one  of the gates with their guns . When the night guards approached them , they pointed torch light on them and said ” we are not for you” and invaded the market. 

    “They said they were on national assignment and we understood they packed goods into more than 10 vehicles.We discovered the following morning that more than 40 shops were broken into while goods including foreign rice, beans, groundnut oil and other things were missing from those shops

    “We have therefore written to the National Security Adviser, NSA, and given the FG a seven  days ultimatum to refund their goods and money unless we will shut down the market and go on a peaceful protest to security agencies and the government house of Akwa Ibom.

    “Although I am against traders  selling foreign rice but the question we have been asking is how does the foreign rice get into Akwa Ibom, where there no customs when this rice was  brought into Akwa Ibom.? We should also know that these traders are interested in profit and when people make demands for such goods, they go to any extent to get it for customers.” He explained.

    On why traders keep cash in the market, Ebong explained that, “most of our traders do not have bank account because they collect goods on credit and pay back the following morning. So it is difficult for them to be carrying cash about when they know they will settle their creditors the next day.”

    But Nigeria Custom officials in Uyo have said that the operations at the market was carried out by the Presidency under the the office of National Security Adviser.

    The Operations Comptroller of Customs in Uyo, Tunku Lokoja said any explanation on the operations would done by their office in Calabar.

    ” That operations was carried out at the instance of National Security Adviser and we are not under them .And I just heard it the way I am hearing from you . So whatever they took from the operations , you have to contact Calabar because I don’t have any information on that.

    ” The team was operations involving Nigeria Customs , Army, Immigration, DSS and the Police. I don’t know whatever they took from there . As I said you have to contact Calabar for information on it.”  Lokoja said .

    Reacting to the raid, the Special Assistant to Governor Udom Emmanuel on Matket, Trade and Investment, Mr Idorenyin Rapheal condemned the approach adopted by the security operatives, which he said created a questionable impression of the exercise.

    Raphael who decried the unwarranted destruction of market stalls and gates also queried the extension of the raid to provision stores, vandalization of beans, groundnut oil and cash, while owners of such shops were in their homes sleeping. 

    “They came in around 11.30pm and left at 4.30am. they carted away cash, rice, beans, provisions, groundnut oil. Everything amounted to N163m. They left with 10 truck load of food items”. he said

    The Special Adviser to Governor Udom Emmanuel, Capt Iniobong Ekong (Rtd) when contacted said the team, identified as border control from office of the National Security Adviser to the President, has confirmed to have been responsible for the raid. He however condemned the timing and vandalization.

  • A’Ibom market traders lament excessive levy

    By Samuel Ogenyi, Uyo

    Traders in major markets in Akwa Ibom have raised alarm over the imposition of multiple ticketing by the Local Governments and traders’ unions in the markets.

    This is against the State Government’s directive on tax holidays for all categories of taxpayers including traders in the State, to cushion the adverse effect of the Coronavirus on people and businesses.

    Speaking to newsmen at the popular Akpan Andem Market in Uyo metropolis yesterday, a trader Mrs Ekong Okon explained that, despite efforts by the State Government to reduce economic hardship on them, some agents allegedly set up by market unions has continued to tax them.

    According to her, ‘‘here in Akpan Andem Market every shop is made to pay N500 for electricity, N700 for Uyo Local Government, N500 for security and N1000 as development levy amongst others.”

    Despite the collection of these levies for the aforementioned items, traders still experienced dilapidated shops, blackout and absence of development against monies collected by the revenue agents.

    Also, at Itam Market in Uyo, traders lamented the influence of splinter market unions saying that, the multiplicity of these unions contributed heavily to the high cost of food items.

    Worst hit are traders without market stalls who display their wares in the open and along roads near the markets as they are most times forced to part with monies not receipted for by some of the revenue collection agents.

    In one of such incidents last year, a pregnant woman died of injuries sustained while being forced to pay levy on a jerrycan of Palm oil she was bringing to Akpanandem market to sell by a revenue collection agent.

    Traders in other markets also visited such as; Afaha Market, Ikot Ambang Market, Urua Tor, Use Market, Etuk Street Market and Ikpe Market etc, complained of excessive levy and called on the State Government to intervene for them to feel the impact of the tax relief it granted.