Barely twenty four
days to Christmas, a cross-section of traders who were displaced last December at the Mile One market fire incident have expressed fear on their fortunes.
Some of the traders who are now selling beside the fenced burnt market who spoke to our correspondent said the chances of selling products like rice, beans, tomatoes amongst others in bags and cartons was a near impossibility.
According to Festus Onyinye, a rice dealer, the development has made it impossible for customers to request bags of rice in advance.
He said before the fire incident, the commodity was ordered in advance at least three to four months before Christmas day.
Onyinye, who said he was now retailing the commodity fears that he has not been able to break even ever since.
“After the fire incident, I used to measure in cups and paint containers.
“This method brings no gain because nobody places order in bags”, he lamented.
For Cletus Obiandu who sells vegetable oil and tin tomato, the incident has since reduced his stock.
He said before the fire incident, he used to sell his products in cartons.
While lamenting his predicament, he said the government should take action to enable them bounce back.
“Right now most of us have problems of where to put our fowls and other livestocks”, said Wenenda Amanwo, who sells Chicken beside the fenced market.
According to him, before now, he bought chicken in large quantity to enable him meet the demands of Christmas and New Year celebrations.
He said the government was seen not to care even as he added that the upcoming elections may have distracted government’s attention in the rebuilding of the market.
One of the hawkers, Mr Okon Ufots, who spoke to our correspondent opined that the government should remove the fence to enable the traders use the space for the period of the yuletide.
“Since the government is not yet ready to build the market let them remove the fence.
“They can close it again after Christmas and new year because the traders are suffering”, he said.