A’Ibom Market Women Lament Loss Of N200m Goods

Women traders at the
Afaha Offot Market in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, have lamented loss of their goods worth N200 million in the demolition of the market by the Uyo Capital City Development Authority (UCCDA).
Speaking with our correspondent in Uyo, recently, the President of the Market Women Association, Mrs Anna Robert, alleged that the recent demolition of the market was inhuman.
Robert said that UCCDA did not give the women prior notice before the demolition of the market, situated along Olusegun Obasanjo Way in Uyo Local Government Area.
She said that some of the women in the market were widows and that their only means of livelihood was the market.
“The market is their only source of income for the feeding of the families,’’ Robert lamented.
She said that since the exercise, the women had been staying idle at home without money to feed their families.
The village head of Afaha Offot, Chief David Etuk, who corroborated with the women, said that the village had no notice of demolition from UCCDA.
“The UCCDA officials did not come to Afaha Offot market to mark the place for demolition.
“There was no previous warning whatsoever; what we noticed on that fateful Friday was the demolition carried out by UCCDA,” Etuk said.
He said that the inhabitants of the area had been selling in the market for over 100 years, adding that it was difficult to understand the reason behind the demolition exercise.
“Our women have been selling in this market for over 100 years.
“If they feel the place is no longer comfortable as a market, let them provide alternative place for our women.
“We are going to write a protest letter to the government over the decision of the UCCDA in demolishing our only market,’’ Etuk said.
In his reaction, the UCCDA Chairman, Chief Ignatius Edet, said that the authority did not demolish any market rather the illegal structures in the market.
He said that UCCDA was empowered by law to regulate development in the capital city.
“Development control must be viewed beyond personal and selfish interest and cannot be compromised.
“The job of physical planning and development control had never been applauded,’’ Edet said.
He said that the authority was faced with various challenges, including wrong perception of development control, encroachment on government land, building on waterways and undesignated areas.
Edet however said that the authority was yet to carry out public enlightenment and awareness due to paucity of funds.