Business
Water, Electricity Delay Handover Of Mile One Market
Against the expectation that traders at the Rumuwoji Market popularly known as Mile One Market in Diobu, Port Harcourt would have taken over the market at the completion of the new ultra modern market buildings, the Chairman of the Mile One Market Traders Association, Mr. Daniel Iheme, has said that traders cannot operate in that market without electricity and water supply.
Speaking in a chat with The Tide, in his office, Iheme said that electricity and water are very important utilities that are required to operate in the new market, pointing out that traders need to have such utilities, at least.
He also explained that traders would have managed the situation if the contractor handling the project had agreed to utilise the old-bore-hole water at the market.
Apart from the issue of non-availability of electricity and water which has delayed the taking over of the market, the chairman also stated that a lot of delays have been recorded in the area of release of funds to those who had supplied materials for the project.
He sited an instance where a director in the Ministry of Works was arrested by the police on account of failing to pay a suppliers after supplies, which was viewed as a breach of contract.
The chairman, however, urged government to expedite action on the release of funds, so as to complete the remaining facilities needed at the market.
He also posited that the association will be willing to make use of its generating set, to augment for non-availability of electricity in the event that water will be made available.
Corlins Walter