Traders at the Ngwa Road Market in Aba has staged a peaceful protest expressing their frustration over the alleged closure of the market by the Nigerian Army.
The protesters who came to Government House Umuahia, Tuesday, to register their grievances carried placards with different inscriptions such as; “We are under military siege at Ngwa Road” “We are being intimidated by soldiers”, called on the state government to intervene.
Addressing Journalists during the protest, the President of Ngwa Road Traders Association, Mr Chinedu Oforndu, stated that since May 30, traders have been unable to access their shops due to a military blockade preventing both vehicles and pedestrians from entering the area.
“Since May 30 our business has been on lockdown and we cannot access our business places because vehicles and human beings are not allowed within the area.
“This is as a result of the refusal of the military to allow traders to have access to their shops.
“We are pleading with the government to intervene and help us out in this situation”, he said
Also, the Secretary of the Association, Mr. Ikenna Ohanaba, said that about 100 shops at the market had been locked up for two weeks because soldiers were not allowing traders to enter the market.
“It has not been easy for us to survive without our businesses running in this current economic situation.
“The area of the market within Ibere Road to Ukaegbu Road has been the worst hit and we don’t know the actual reason for this action by the military,” Ohanaba said.
He called on the state government to intervene, as their ability to provide for their families is rapidly dwindling.
In his response, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Trade, Commerce, and Industry, Chief Nwaka Inem, commended the traders for their peaceful approach in bringing their grievances to the government.
He cited recent incidents involving the killing of soldiers by criminal elements as the cause of heightened military alertness in the area.
“The Governor is committed to ensuring that the situation does not escalate. The citizens should help to get us credible information to make sure that those people are brought to justice and that such incidents do not reoccur”.
Inem urged the traders to avoid confrontation with the military and assured them that the government would take swift action to resolve the issue.
However, a military source who spoke to Newsmen on the condition of anonymity denied any involvement in the closure of the shops, stating, “There is no such thing and no shop was locked by the Nigerian Army”.
