S/East traders threaten to shut down markets over proposed sale of Aba power firm

 

Traders in the South-East  geo-political zone of Nigeria on Saturday vowed to resist ‎any attempt  by the Bureau of Public Enterprises ( BPE) to hand over Aba and Ariara electricity  distribution unit to Afrigem by shutting down markets in the region. 

 

President-General of the group, Ichie Okwudili Ezenwankwo, who addressed journalists after an enlarged meeting of the traders in Enugu, vowed that any plan to take the power unit away from the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company ( EEDC) would be totally unacceptable to the entire traders.

 He said if the purported plan was allowed to stand it would  paralyse  businesses in the area.

 

Ezenwankwo said : “Geometric power company has always claimed that they will provide 24-hour regular  power supply in Aba since 2005. That has never happened and Aba has been suffering until 2013, (November), when the EEDC took over,” adding “We all know that things have been improving and we are hopeful that it can only get better under the EEDC.”

 

According to him, “recently, we read in the papers that the BPE is about to hand over Aba and Ariara distribution unit to a company called Afrigem, which we understand has purchased Geometrics.

 

“We are very concerned that if this happens, our hope for reliable power supply will never be realized. This is why we shall resist such plot with every available effort.”

 

The  traders’ leader, who praised President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption efforts, nonetheless enjoined  him not to allow a few cabal to destroy  South-East economy.

 

Ezenwankwo also emphasised  that if the BPE failed to listen to their position, “we shall not hesitate to go on demonstration; but I believe that government will do the needful. If it entails shutting down markets, we will do that, because the plan to hand over the Aba/Ariaria  power  distriution unit to another unknown firm is totally unacceptable us.”