BY OMOS OYINBODE, ASABA
If the traders in the expansive Ogbeogonogo Modern Market in Asaba, the Delta State capital, had prayed that the new administration in Oshimili South Local Government secretariat would reduce their stallage fee, they would need to go back to the drawing board as the revenue department of the secretariat had reviewed the fee with 150 percent higher than the previous administration.
Traders in the market, Monday, made the shocking revelation during a protest march to the office of the local government chairman, Chuks John Obusom, to register their disagreement with the increment and demand a reduction to make life good for the traders.
Chairman of the traders group, Comrade Lazarus Igwe, who addressed journalists at the secretariat premises, expressed displeasure over the development, saying they had prayed that the new chairman would reduce the fee leveled on them by the previous administration but rather than reduce the burden from their necks, the new administration of the council had increased the fee by 150 percent.
In a letter sent to the market union by the local government revenue department and obtained by our correspondent, lock up stalls (full) would pay N60,000 per annum, lock up stalls (half) would pay N30,000 per annum while open stall are to pay N12,000 per annum.
The letter also revealed that the increment would commence in January 2015 and collection would begin from February 12 and the traders were given a designated bank to pay in the fee with an advice to cooperate with the new regime to avoid revocation of their tenancy.
But Igwe, who was surrounded by his fellows, said the increase was beyond what the traders could bear as many of the traders were finding it difficult to cope with the previous fee of N24,000 per annum for full lock up stalls, N12,000 for half lock up stalls and N8000 for open stalls.
He said that the members were contemplating visiting the local government to call for reduction of the fee, but to their chagrin, the new administration increased the fee 150 percent against their interest.
Igwe said “looking at this increment, it is 150 percent increase. There is nowhere in the whole of Delta State that this kind of money is paid in any shop. Even the one we are paying, it was the last regime that increased it, we went on demonstration and it ended in the office of the commissioner for justice who settled us with the local government.
“So we are thinking that this new administration will reduce it for us, but we are surprised at this increment. Some of the women here are borrowing for the trade. So government should help us and not kill us”, he lamented.
He revealed that some of the traders were running their business with loans obtained from LAPO Micro Finance Bank where they pay interest, adding that he had not expected such increase from the present local government administration.
In his response, Chairman of the council, Chuks John Obusom, said he had scheduled a meeting with the executive of the market union where he would he would address their grievances on Thursday, February 26, 2015, saying he had cautioned the group not to protest but to register their grievance following due process.
