The Esuk Mba community market in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River is still practising trade by barter as a means of exchange for food items since it was established in 1956, Tide source reports.
The market, which is located in a remote village in Esuk Mba in Akpabuyo, is a weekly market that starts from 7a.m in the morning and ends at noon every Saturday.
Villagers usually move their consumable items to the market in exchange for the ones they are in need of.
This practice, it was learnt had been in peaceful existence among members of the community on every market day since 1956.
The Community’s Youth Leader, Mr Asuquo Effiong, who conducted The Tide source round the market said the market which serves as a tourists site for most visitors was in dire need of a facelift.
According to him, the practice is still in existence because the market was handed over to them by their forefathers.
He said the market is also significant because it was also a point of activities during the period.
“We grew up to meet this market. We hold it so much in high esteem and we want to sustain it. We use it to remember our forefathers and to sustain our culture.
“As you can see, they are varieties of food items in this section for exchange. In this market, you can bring your palm oil and exchange it for garri, yam, fish or plantain as the case may be.
“The market is close to the river side and our people here are predominantly fishermen. The community is not comfortable with the size of this market; there have been no expansion of the market since inception.
“In addition, we don’t have any good school here, no portable drinking water and health post. We need government intervention in this community,’’ he said.
A market woman, Mrs Eno Etim, who brought in yams for exchange for palm oil, said that the tradition had been with them for ages.
According to Etim, she had no palm oil in her house, hence she brought four tubers of yam to exchange for four litres of palm oil.
Also, Mrs Grace Okon, ssaid that she brought in periwinkle, popularly called ‘mfi’ in Calabar language for exchange for garri, adding that it had helped them over the years to save cost in view of the scarce financial resources.
It was observed that most of the roofs in the thatched houses inside the market had already fallen off, while the wood, which usually gives the houses a standing position were lying on the ground.