By Okey Maduforo Awka
The troubles of market traders in Anambra state may worsen following the threat by Governor Charles Soludo that if traders refuse to open markets on Monday they would have their shops and markets ownership revoked .
Soludo who spoke to reporters in Awka stated that under the land use act he has the right as a government to revoke any market of shoes including the private ones under the policy of over ridding public interest.
He warned that should the traders refuse to open the markets he would not mind closing the markets for the rest of the year .
“We are not afraid of litigations in Anambra state and we are ready and you bring your lawyer and we bring our senior advocates quite a number of them”
“It is the property of government of Anambra state and under the Land Use Act even the private ones I will revoke it and pay you compensation and that is what the law requires me to do ”
“All these markets I will revoke them and take them over and if you don’t like the compensation that I paid you we meet at the law court”
“My powers to take it over based on public interest is sacrosanct and give you cheque for compensation”
“We are going to take attendance of those that opened their shops on Monday and we shall use the leadership of those lines at the market”
“The shops that are not open we mark them and either impose fine on them our I will seal those shops and take them over ”
“The important thing is that this madness must end and we have endure this for over five years now”
. Soludo recalled that he had toured Onitsha before now on Monday and discovered that the stadium and streets were busy with Business and other human activities while the Onitsha main market is closed due to insecurity.
He questioned why other parts of Onitsha was bursting with life without the fear of insecurity while the Onitsha market is closed due to insecurity.
“All the markets were open including on Sunday and Monday throught the Christmas season and after the Christmas season they said oo! We have to luck up the market again”
“It is no longer sit at home and sit at home ended about two years ago and because on Mondays everywhere in Anambra especially in Onitsha and the streets are busy , the various stadium are full and people are doing exercise and people do walks on the road and hold neighborhood meetings and church meetings and street trading and everywhere is bustling”
“Before now sit at home means staying at home and not coming out”
“This time around it is no longer sit at home but laziness and what you have done for like five years becomes a tradition and you begin to redifine a new calendar for Anambra state and the South East that you are open for business only from Tuesday”
“This is sabotage criminal intended against Anambra state and that is what is going on and we shall fight it with everything legal” he said.
