Traders at the Rumu-Woji Mile I Market has commended the Rivers State Government for the introduction of weekly sanitation exercise in the markets every Thursday between the hours of 7.00 – 10.00am which has inculcated discipline and sanitary habit on the traders.

The commendation was made by the chairman of Rumuwoji Market Traders Association, Chief (Hon) Y.O.C. Georgewill during an interview with The Tide last Thursday.

He lauded the traders for their cooperation, but urged the sanitary officials not to wait till Thursdays before coming with their vehicles to evacuate refuse, rather they should station at least one vehicle in each of the markets, so that those who have refuse could dispose them on daily basis as this will ensure that the market is always clean.

Chief Georgewill assured the state government that his administration would not allow any trader to sell outside the market as it defaces the city. He however appealed to the committee in charge of allocation of stores at the new mile 1 market to include at least two of his members in the committee in order to identify the genuine traders.

He stressed that if they were not carried along, non traders may be allocated stores while the real traders may be denied the opportunity to own stores. He also appealed to the committee to expedite action on the allocation so that some of the traders could move over there and decongest the old market.

The pioneer vice chairman of Asari Toru Local Government Area (ASALGA) who is fondly called the Mandela of the market because of his dogged fight for the welfare of the traders, said since his assumption of office as chairman of the traders association through a court judgment of July 23, 2010, he had recorded various achievements including peace and unity amongst members.

Also speaking, the vice chairman of the association, Hon. John Amadi (JP) who is also the chairman of the market’s sanitation committee noted that since the inception of their administration the sanitation exercise had recorded a huge success in terms of cleaniness of the market, cooperation of the traders  and the sanitary officials.

He said the traders had been made to realise that health is wealth, stressing that before the introduction of the sanitation exercise, the market used to be very untidy and unhygienic, but today every body is happy to buy and sell in a clean environment. He also noted that apart from the weekly sanitation, the traders also participated in the monthly sanitation exercise

The sanitation committee chairman therefore appealed to the state government to provide them with working materials to make their work easier.