Business
MOMTA Boss Rates Table Traders High
The chairman of Mile One Market Traders Association (MOMTA), Mr Daniel Iheme, has said that traders that display goods on the table make better income than a lot of salary earners.
Speaking in a chat with The Tide in Port Harcourt, the MOMTA boss explained that these category of traders in the market, earn at least, between five and six thousand naira every day, which a public servant on level 08 will not get.
According to him, those that trade on onions, oil, pepper and seasonings among others take home at least five thousand naira every day, after their daily savings/contributions, popularly known as “Akawo”.
Mr Iheme further explained that these traders are determined to make their money, irrespective of the hardship they face, on the cause of doing their business, and how people look down on them.
The MOMTA chairman who was reacting to the widely held notion about the low level of these petty traders income, which has resulted to the neglect of the business by some people said “what is important is the money, and these people are making it, even better than some salary earners. Some of the onions sellers have built houses with income they got from sale of onions.”
“That is why you see them do everything possible to ensure that they are not pushed out of their position, because they know what they realize every day, but those outside will see them, and think that they don’t make much in their trade, and look down on them”.
At the end of the month, when everything is put together, these traders realize an average of N100,000 – N120,000, outside the daily savings, which a worker on grade level 09 may not even earn.
Corlins Walter