The Abia state House of Assembly has expressed displeasure over what it called the hijack of Ubani market in Umuahia by non-traders, saying it fuels the practice of street trading.
At the resumed plenary on Wednesday, the Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji who drew the attention of the lawmakers to the development of matter of urgent public importance wondered why the market built by the state government is not fully utilised.
“They said that some of them that have shops in those markets that were demolished were not given any shops at the new ones.
“If you go to Ubani Ibeku market, you will find out that about 50 per cent are closed up meanwhile people own those shops”
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“The essence of moving those markets was to end street trading. It is now time for us to unravel the owners of those shops perpetually locked up and give it to those who will make immediate use of them.
“I appeal to my dear Colleagues to help on this matter because Umuahia is the capital city of the State and it is good I bring this issue out to the floor so it can be discussed“, he said.
In a statement made available to ABN TV by the media unit of the Assembly said the Member representing Umuahia North State Constituency, Hon. Kelechi Onuzuruike, in his contribution to the Matter, urged the House to look into the case critically.
“Mr Speaker, you have spoken the mind of every Umuahian. Mr Speaker, I had cause to visit the Ubani Market during this Lockdown, Mr Speaker, what I saw bewildered me. You will some shops that have been under lock and key for over a year.
“Mr Speaker, the entire Umuahia North Has spoken through you and we are saying that the needful be done, and be done urgently. Let some punitive measures be meted out to the owners of such shops so that it will serve as a deterrent to others who may be thinking to do same“, he said.
The Minority Leader of the House, Hon Sir Abraham Oba, on his part called on the House to expedite action on the Matter as presented by the Speaker.
“Mr Speaker, the only way out is for Government to take over all the locked up shops and give same to those in immediate need of it“, he opined.
The Member representing Umuahia South State Constituency, Hon Barr Jerry Uzosike, on his part urged the House to apply all the necessary legislative and political will to arrest the situation before it becomes a norm.
“It seems to me that in all the streets of Umuahia, you see any new building, there is a warehouse.
“Mr Speaker, there is an urgent need for the political will to move these traders back to Ubani, what happened was that most of these traders moved into Ubani while some refused and because nothing happened to those who refused to move people who ordinarily needed to go to Ubani now purchase at the metropolis.
“There is need for a political will to move these traders back to Ubani”, he concluded.
The Member representing Obingwa West, Hon Barr. Thomas Nkoro, in his support to the motion called on the House to review the allocations at Ubani Market.
“Let the allocations at that market be reviewed to accommodate the original owners of shops at the demolished markets“, he said.
The Speaker, while thanking the members for their contributions maintained that the shops.were hijacked by non traders.
“It is my considered opinion to call on the State Government to implement the law banning street trading in Abia State.
“Secondly, is that allocation of the stores at Ubani Market be looked into by the House Committee on Trade and Investment of the House“, he remarked.
The Assembly therefore mandated the House Committee on Investment to investigate and find out the real owners of the shops in a bid to ascertain whether those people that paid actually got the shops for which they paid.
It also urge the State Government to end the menace by implementing the Law banning street trading.
