Business
Motorists Decry Mile 3 Park Conversion To Market
Motorists at Mile 3 motor park Diobu in Nkpolu Oroworukwo Community, Port Harcourt, have lamented over what they described as conversion of the motor park to daily market by traders.
The Tide reports that following the recent ban on illegal parks and street trading by Port Harcourt Local Government Council Chairman, Hon Victor Ihunwo, Bishop Okoye street traders and drivers were dislodged from their illegal commercial activities.
The ban had put high pressure on the motor park in Mile 3, Diobu, being only the available option to the street trading activities, as all commercial drivers have gone back to the main Mile 3 park.
The Tide investigation further revealed that half of the motor park have been converted to daily market leaving no much space for the commercial bus drivers to load and discharge their passengers as the law stipulates.
Speaking to The Tide last Monday, a commercial bus driver who plies Port Harcourt, Choba route, Evans Onwuegbu, said that the relevant authorities did not make preparation and provision for rehabilitation and relocation of those that would be affected before going ahead to ban and enforce it.
According to him, “you can see for yourself, what is happening in the park is just the effect of the ban without providing alternative place for the affected victims. People must survive, they must respond to the will to survive and the only option is to resort to the park, to sell their goods, thereby blocking the chances of survival for commercial drivers that are key stakeholders in the park”.
The National Union of Road Transport workers official who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity said that the union was not responsible for the allocation of market spaces to the traders in the park, saying that their primary function was aimed at organising their members in an orderly manner, collect ticket fee from their members, keep good record and custody of passengers lost items and returned by drivers.
“We do not have the responsibility to allocate space to traders or to collect revenue from the park”, he maintained, stressing that government should do something to relocate the traders to enable the motor park serve its purpose.
A victim of the ban, Mrs Agnes Uju, said she and others sought for alternative space in the motor park at a monetary value collected by the park authority because she had no choice or place to go, she noted that there were no spaces in the main Mile 3 market to accommodate them and if there were, the spaces were very expensive and beyond her financial capabilities as a petty trader.
She appealed to the government to build more low income and affordable markets, that could accommodate a good number of petty traders, as a way to reduce the rate of street trading in the State.
job to expedite action in completing one lane of the road to ease the flow of traffic while the construction lasts.
Drivers who made the call on Monday when our correspondent visited the area said that the road is becoming worst with pot holes around Eleme junction and Oyigbo, making motorist to divert their journeys to alternative routes.
A commercial bus river Ikeji Ama who plies the route lamented over the deplorable condition of the road specially the Eleme junction to Oyigbo toll gate, then to Imo River bridge, resulting to serious traffic gridlock along the axis.
He appealed to the contractor handling the job to endeavour to concentrate and complete one side out of the two sides of the road as a remediation to easing the flow of traffic while the construction continues.
In view of Wangbo Igwe a driver on the route, told our correspondent that the traffic gridlock was becoming unbearable due to the snail movement occasioned by the bad road, saying that the pot holes were affecting their tyres and slowing down their business. He noted that the usual three trips made per day in the past could only fall down to one trip only now and that their vehicles break down indiscriminately due to bad road.
He appealed that the contractor should do something as interim measure, more so, fill hard core on the pot holes to aid movement, saying that the situation was eating up his purse on maintaining his vehicle.
Meanwhile, the site Manager Taun Tayin had apologised to road users of that route, pointing out that the delay was due o regular rainfall in the area and that the job would be completed in less than no time.
The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) says it has registered 160 Port stakeholders into its Regulated Port Service Provider and Users platform since the initiative began in 2023.
Executive Secretary, NSC, Mr Pius Akutah, made the disclosure on the sideline of a sensitisation programme by the commission for port operators in Lagos, with the theme, “Regulated Port Service Provider and Users”.
Represented by the Director, Consumer Affairs, Chief Cajetan Agu, Akutah emphasised the significance of the programme for stakeholders.
He said the sensitisation programme was the second edition after its commencement during the last quarter of 2023.
The Secretary said the 160 registered port operators consist of agencies, terminal operators, shipping companies, individual port users as well as service providers.
“We invited the ports stakeholders for enlightening them on the processes for online registration of Regulated Port Service Provider and Users.
“We have demonstrated to them how to register and how to make payment and we were able to present before them the various categories of the registration.
“The rate of payment is also in the registration. The payment of each group depends on the operation. A shipper pays N30,000, terminal operators and shipping companies pay N300,000, truckers also pay N30,000, while some pay N50,000 and N100,000.
“The Council was able to intimate them on the benefits, because port users benefit more as we help to interface on reducing port charges from time to time”, Akutah said.
He said that there was a need to continue to work with port operators to stop delays and eliminate high costs to make the port efficient.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director, Stakeholders, Service, NSC, Mr Celestine Akujobi, said “the sensitisation exercise was important for the council to enable us bring all the port stakeholders together”.
According to him, this is to avoid challenges during the implementation of the council’s responsibilities.
“By the time we introduce sanctions on defaulters, no operators will complain that he or she is not aware of the registration.
“I’m happy with the turnout of this sensitisation. This shows that the operators are well informed of the statutory friction of the council as the port regulator.
“The final implementation will commence as soon as we discover that all the operators have keyed into the portal.
“We are engaging other ports across the country and we’re hopeful that before the last quater of 2024, the council will implement sanctions on defaulting operators”, Akujobi said.
Earlier, Vice Chairman, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwards (NAGAFF), Dr Ifeanyi Emoh, said port challenges were enormous, adding that they originated from some of the government agencies.
Emoh urged the council to look into regulating other government agencies, so that there could be a window through which they can collect port charges collectively instead of indiscriminately.
By: Chinedu Wosu
Chivita| Hollandia (CHI Limited) leading fruit juice and value-added dairy manufacturer in Nigeria has rewarded its long standing distributors at the recently held 2024 Distributor Conference. The event with the theme, “Break Boundaries Exceed Expectations” served as a platform to recognise and reward the exceptional contribution of the distributors and wholesalers who play a critical role in Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) success and business goals for the year.
The Distributor Conference was held in two sessions. While the morning session featured keynote addresses, industry insights and brand immersion experience, the evening session was a cultural display of elegance and funfair that culminated in the award presentation and recognition of the contribution the trade partners made to the company in the 2023 year under review.
A key highlight of the event was the award ceremony which acknowledged outstanding trade partners in various regions across the country. The awards recognized commitment, dedication, and outstanding performance in areas of sales growth, brand promotion, and market expansion.
Eelco Weber, Managing Director, Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited), stated that the company’s success story is incomplete without the strong partnerships it has built with trade partners. “Today, we celebrate not only the achievements, but the collaborative spirit that has made our growth possible” he said.
Bola Arotiowa, Chief Commercial Officer, Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited), in his statement revealed that, the event which was first of its kind will continue to be an annual meeting to enable the company work more closely with its distributors, share insights and action points, help the trade partners familiarize themselves with the company’s goals and objectives for each year, and serve as a driver for mutual success.
“Our distributors are the backbone of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited). Their relentless efforts in distributing our products, promoting our brands, and expanding our reach across the nation is truly commendable. As the bridge between us and our valued consumers, it is very important to reward their hard work and dedication for being an essential part of the Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) family. Together, we will continue to deliver great products to our conusmers which in turn will deliver value to them”, Mr. Arotiowa added.
Speaking at the conference, HajiyaBilikisuSaida, Chief Executive Officer of Smabirm Nigeria Limited, who won the Outstanding Distributor of the Year in North 1 region, and got a reward of two million Naira worth of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) products expressed delight at the company’s recognition, and stated that the awards served as a way to inspire distributors to do more and put in more effort, which in turn would help both the distributors and the company to grow.
Other outstanding performance distributors of the year rewarded with a two million Naira worth of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) stock include, Sunny Chuks Limited for East 1 region, MRS FA & Sons Limited for East 2 region, Hussakas Ventures for North 2 region, Rookee 1388 Ventures for Lagos 1 region, Pik N Pil Ventures for Lagos 2 region, FaithJoe Event Management Limited for West 1 region, and Progress Family Nigeria Enterprise for West 2 region.
The annual Distributors Conference aims to strengthen the bond between Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) and its trade partners. This collaborative approach fosters mutual growth and ensures the continued success of the brands in the Nigerian market.
A global leader in insurance and asset management, AXA Mansard, has supported three female-owned MSMEs with business grants totaling 1.4 million to boost their operations.
This, the company said, is part of its commitment to women and the Medium, Small, and Medium-scale Enterprise (MSME) sector in the country.
The three businesses were successful at the International Women’s Day Pitch Competition, organised in partnership with SME 100 Africa in Lagos.
According to the Head of Marketing, AXA Mansard, Olusesan Ogunyooye, the competition, which is aimed at supporting female entrepreneurs in Nigeria, “is another way AXA is demonstrating its commitment to the causes of women and stimulating the MSME sector in Nigeria”.
The business pitch competition received numerous entries from women across different sectors, but after a rigorous selection process, shortlisted participants were selected to participate in the competition.
Ogunyooye said “the programme provided a unique opportunity for women from various works and socio-economic classes to showcase their innovative ideas and solutions in sectors such as food, tech, fashion, and fragrance, creating an atmosphere filled with excitement, enthusiasm, and a strong sense of community”.
He stressed the importance of investing in women, saying it is not just the right thing to do, but also aligns with AXA’s purpose of acting for human progress.
He explained that AXA believes the future of women should not be at risk, hence investing in their economic empowerment is a crucial part
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