By Our Correapondent
Traders in Sapele Local Government Council under the aegis of Delta State Traders and Market Leaders Council (DESTMALC) have appealed to the State Governor, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa to compel Sapele market traders who are still trading along the road to move into the market, saying they are constituting nuisance to the town.
The spokes person of DESTMALC, Comrade Oritsematosan Gogomeje said earlier this year, the Government of Delta State through the director of information Mr. Paul Osahor in a special government announcement dated 23rd April 2015, has banned all forms of street trading along market road Sapele.
He added that the statement stated that accordingly traders who have been allocated stores by the state government are advised to move into the market and take possession of their stores for the purpose of trading and lawful transaction, explaining further that the Delta State Government in October 2004 embarked on the reconstruction of the Sapele market which was damaged by fire.
The market spokesman noted further that though the market project was the responsibility of the council but the state had to undertake the project through Built, Operate and Transfer (BOT) arrangement because the project was above the finance capability of the council and after state government has recovered their cash, the market will go back to the council.
He stated that after all allottees of the market stores paid their cash into government scoffers then, they were asked to move into their respective stores, as the state further advised them to deal with state government agents in matters of allocating and payments for fees/levies for stores.
Gogomeje appealed to the government to act swiftly as the action of the traders is currently impeding the smooth trading in the market and free flow of traffic on the road around the market area including touts that goes about collecting illegal fees from the traders given them the impression that government has legalized street trading hence they do every thing possible to stay put on the road only to evacuate them when the government is visiting and move back as soon as his departure to Asaba.
He stated further that they are begging the governor not to allow people to use the market as political vendetta, instead he should embrace all the traders as his family, children and should see him self as a father to all of them.
Comrade Gogomeje continued that “the presence of the tout are constituting nuisance which is highly disturbing to the traders. The day you came, the road was cleared, we beg you to let it remain like that and that such serene environment will ensure public peace and perpetual peace to the traders”
