Onitsha Market Traders Protest Imposition Of CCTV Levy

Traders at the Onitsha
Main Market in Anambra have Wednesday protested the imposition of N200 monthly levy per shop as Close Circuit Television (CCTV) levy by the market leadership.
Our correspondent  learnt that trouble started at 8.30 a.m. when the levy task force, suspected to be members of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) arrived the market.
They were said to have come to the “White House” section of the market to collect the N200 levy from the shops.
According to an eyewitness who pleaded anonymity, the task force demanded the returns from the chairman of White House section of the market, who told them that his members had refused to comply.
The response of the chairman was said to have angered the task force members, who then beat him up and tore his shirt in the process.
The traders reacted immediately, locked up their shops and mobilised fellow traders in the market to join them in the mass protest.
The President-General of Anambra Amalgamated Market Traders Association (AMATAS), Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo,mobilised a team of mobile policemen to quell the protest.
Speaking to journalists, Ezenwankwo expressed regret that the situation became chaotic.
He, however, gave assurance that he would meet with the market leaders and leaders of the aggrieved traders on the matter.
“I believe that we can be matured enough as traders to handle this matter amicably to everybody’s admiration without causing any breakdown of law and order in the market,’’ he said.

L-R: Director-General, Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (Eccima), Sir Emeka Okereke, Vice President, Works, Eccima, Mr Nonye Osakwe, and Ebonyi State Commissioner for Commerce, Dr Ifeanyi Ikeh, during a reception for Ebonyi State for participating in the 25th Enugu International Trade Fair, recently.