By Chuks Eke
Stakeholders at Ogbaru (Relief) Main Market have reiterated their resolve to seal up all shops and lines in the market which are not opened for trading activities on Mondayys as according to them the era of Monday sit-at-home is now over in the market.
President of Ogbaru Main Market Traders Association, Chief Ndubuisi Ochiogu who disclosed this to newsmen shortly after an enlarged meeting of the stakeholders and Chairmen of all the market Lines, said all the traders in the market have been advised to open their shops for trading activities on Mondays to avoid inconveniences.
Ochiogu who insisted that insecurity is no longer an excuse for any trader in the market not to come to market and open his or her shop on Mondays, further disclosed that adequate security arrangements have been made to guarantee the safety of all and sundry.
He noted that although customers do not come from far places on Mondays to patronize the traders as they do from Tuesdays to Saturdays, traders in the market known for the sale and distribution of provisions, beverages and other consumables are in a vantage position to make sales on Mondays once they open their shops.
According to him, “we deal on provisions, beverages and other consumables and customers do come from Onitsha, Ogidi, Nkpor, Obosi and it’s environs to patronize us on Mondays. I must confess that we have at least 20 percent of patronage on Mondays due to the absence of our customers from outside Anambra state and the idea is to make them understand that there is no more fear to open our shops and markets on Mondays henceforth”.
On the security arrangements, Ochiogu declared: “we have Okpoko police station located very close to the market and the officers are cooperating with us. We equally have men of Operation Udo Ga Achi security outfit, OCHA brigade, State Anti-Touting Squad SASA and our market vigilante operatives surrounding the market environment for security purposes on Mondays. So, security of our lives and goods and that of our customers are 100 percent guaranteed”.
