The relocation of the marketplace for Traders at the popular Tombia-Etekwe market in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, did not sit well with them hence they threatened to stage a protest saying the new marketplace was relocated to a swampy area, they described as only good for animals’ habitation.
They said that, if the Diri-admininistration continued to be insensitive to them and the environment of the new market site, they will shut down market operations in the state to press home their grievances, stating that the state government is insensitive to the plights of the people to relocate them from their business places to swamp in the midst of economic hardship in the country.
During separate interviews with reporters who visited the new market site, the traders who spoke stated that they had not been making sales since the government forced them to evacuate the old market site on February 11, 2024.
The state government had relocated the traders to the new market site about three days to the second-term inauguration of Diri and his deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, on February 14, as the road houses the state’s airport through which invited guests would drive to grace the event.
The traders while lamenting their suffering to the reporters, said they had been recording losses since their relocation, as customers were not coming to buy things from them.
The chairman of Okutukutu/Etegwe Market, Alhaji Dahiru Yauketi, speaking on their challenges, complained that the government did not prepare the new market site properly before hurriedly relocating them.
According to him: “The government allocated this place for us and relocated us from the former market. Government has not finished preparing this present place, but all of us agreed to come. Secondly, the government did not finish the road to this market. Customers are not coming to this (new) market place. We come here every morning but can’t sell anything”.
Other traders including, Favour Sunday, Gladys Internet, Sunday Obi, Elo Edward and Madam Omo, who sell tomatoes and peppers among others, stated that apart from the lack of access road, there was no water, toilet facility and light around the new market site.
Madam Omo said “One basic thing we want the government to do for us is road. Number two, there should be no private markets anywhere. When the government was closing that pipeline market, the governor told us that he will give us a site and everybody will move here. He gave us this site without a road, still we moved here and now we are seeing private markets everywhere”.
She also said that: “When you go to Okutukutu, by School Road, there is a private market. At the corner of one house, there is (also) a private market. Because of that, we that agreed to come to the new site are suffering. I have been here since one month ago and I have not sold one basket of tomatoes.
“So we need government to come and do the road for us; give us water, toilet, light, and seal (off) every private markets. That’s what we want the government to do for us now.”
A meat seller in one of the private markets, Gbenga Bamigboye, also speaking, described the new market site as “A place not meant for human beings at all”.
