By Okey Maduforo Awka
The Onitsha South Council yesterday averted what would have resulted to a blood bath when it stormed the Progress Markets 1 and 2 stopping the forceful closure of over 3,000 shops and attack on traders alleged to have been mastermind by the National Inland Water Ways Authority ( NIWA).
Recall that in the past two years the Onitsha South local government area have been at daggers drawn with NIWA over the space for the ease of anchoring the boats at the Niger Street which Gov Charles Soludo had affirmed that NIWA encroached into Anambra land.
Trouble started Wednesday morning after the traders opened their shops for the day’s activities when some armed personnel with alleged revenue collectors stormed the two markets forcing traders out of the market and closing their shops .
Mayor of Onitsha South local government area, Chief Emeka Orji and the Council Secretary, Paul Onuachalla, led to the reopening of the shops and the arrest of three illegal revenue collectors purportedly working for NIWA who were consequently handed over to the Police Area Commander for Onitsha, ACP Chidi Nzotta for detention and possible prosecution.
At the Police Area Command Onitsha the revenue officials claimed that NIWA has the legal authority to collect stallage fees from the markets which situate within 100 meters away from the bank of the River Niger.
But in their own reactions, the Council Authorities led by Orji and Onuachalla told the police that NIWA has no right whatsoever to collect stallage fees or any other kind of revenues from any market owned by both the state and local governments.
Further, the areas in question are well beyond 100 meters right of way as per NIWA Act 2004. Additionally, parks and markets are not navigation activities, it falls within the exclusive list of the the local government as per 4th schedule of 1999 constitution as amended.
The Police Area Commander, Nzotta later released the suspected illegal revenue collectors to NIWA officials on condition that both NIWA, the markets leaders and the Onitsha South council authorities should come at a later date for amicable resolution of the impasse.
Speaking with reporters shortly after the incident, Onuachalla, the council Secretary lamented that NIWA has always interfered with market activities, feigning ignorance of the fact that markets and motor parks are being managed by local government authorities, under the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.
Onuachalla noted that as early as Wednesday morning, the NIWA officials allegedly sent out the illegal revenue collectors, in collaboration with some military men believed to be Naval Ratings in camouflaged uniforms to aid and abet the illegal revenue collectors in a bid to forcibly collect the stallage fees from the traders, adding that when the traders resisted, the revenue collectors and their military allies went as far as pushing the traders out of the market and locking up their shops.
Onuachalla further stated that it was following a distress call from the traders complaining that they have been pushed out of their shops and their shops locked up by a combined team of NIWA revenue collectors and the military personnel that prompted their timely intervention.
The Onitsha South council boss, in his own reaction, expressed concern that the military personnel did not ask necessary questions before aiding and abetting the the NIWA officials in such an illegality step.
Chairman of the traumatized traders who simply identified himself as Mr. Nnamdi, told newsmen on phone that they have been paying their stallage fees to the state government since the establishment of the market by former Governor Chris Ngige, adding that they were jolted by the commando style of invasion of the market by the combined team of NIWA officials and military personnel.
All efforts to get in touch with both the Onitsha Area Manager of NIWA and Commander of Onitsha Naval Outpost proved abortive as their phone lines could not click after several attempts.
It would be recalled that NIWA officials and Onitsha South Local Government Authorities have been having a running battle over revenue collections in the markets as a result of the closeness of most of the markets within the Onitsha South Local Government council to the bank of the River Niger.
While the NIWA officials are laying claims that every property situate within 100 meters to the bank of River Niger fall within their territory, Onitsha South council Authorities are insisting that anything concerning markets and parks are exclusively under their control.
