Igbo-Ukwu market traders protest imposition of levies

No fewer than 200 traders, mainly women, have staged a peaceful protest in Awka over the imposition of levies and invasion of Igbo-Ukwu market by alleged hoodlums.
The protesters, who stormed the Anambra Government House, Awka, at about 2.00 p.m. carried placards one of which reads: “We want peace at Igbo-Ukwu Main Market.”
Chairman of the association, Mr Godwin Okeke, who submitted an official protest letter to the state government, said the hoodlums stormed the market on November 10, with dangerous weapons and charms. He noted that economic activities at the rural market which operates once in every four days, had been paralysed following the activities of the hoodlums, who claimed to be government agents.
“If you go to Igbo-Ukwu market now, all our shops are locked because we refused to pay a levy of N24, 000 per annum.
“They even went as far as breaking the padlocks used by shop owners and replacing them with theirs.
“We can no longer tolerate the intimidation of market men and women using guns, matchete and other dangerous weapons by the group.
“That is why we have come to find out if they were sent by the government because we know in other nearby markets in Uga, Umuchu and Ekwulobia, the situation is not like this.”
He explained that traders previously paid local government toll and sanitation levy totaling N100 daily.
In his remark, Secretary of the market, Mr Ogochukwu Ezeani, who said he had operated in the market for more than 20 years, said the development started about a year ago.
“The immediate past Commissioner for Commerce, Trade and Industry had said that the market had been taken over by the government, but up till now, we are yet to see any form of proof that government had taken over the market.
“Even the President-General of Igbo-Ukwu community has told us that there is no such document or idea that government had taken over the market.
“This same group led by Mr Ugochukwu Okaforuzu, collected N50,000 last year from about 500 traders in the market under the guise that the same government would allocate stalls to us,” he said.
Also recounting her ordeal, an electronics dealer, Mrs Mercy Ojimmadu, said she discovered on the morning of November 15, that her shop had been locked with another padlock.
“Upon enquiry, I was told that it was carried out by the hoodlums who insisted that we must pay N24,000 levy, failing which our shops will remain closed,” she said.
Responding, Special Adviser to Governor Willie Obiano on Parks and Markets, Mr Cyril Obiano, who received the letter and other protest materials, promised that the government would address the matter.