The authorities of the Port Harcourt City Local Government Council (PHALGA) have demolished some illegal structures and shanties built as market stalls on Kaduna Street in Port Harcourt.
The Tide has realiably gathered that the market structure was built by the former administrative committee Chairman of the Mile one market traders Assocation (MOMTA), Chief Y.O.C. Georgewill.
It was gathered that Georgwill in collaboration with some persons built the structures at the space provided for the resident of “Eze Apara Rebisi” to serve as a statellite of the Mile one market.
The said structures, The Tide gathered, did not follow due process and did not also receive the blessings of the Port Harcourt City Council, which had given an earlier warning about the illegality of building such market structures.
However, efforts to speak with Chief Georgewill were unsuccessful, as he had indicated unwillingness to speak to The Tide.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of MOMTA, Deacon Kenneth Eze, while reacting to the development, said that the action of the local government simply tells that they were not interested in condoning any illegality.
He said that if Georgewill had headed the earlier warning and instruction of the City Council, such demolition and wastage of resources would have been avoided.
Eze also expressed worries over the plight of some traders, especially women in mile one market, who might have been mislead to invest their hard – earned monies into building such structures.
Already, all the structures built for the purpose of trading in the area have since been destroyed by PHALGA officials.

Corlins Walter