Abraka: Demolition Of Main Market Has No Political Undertone, Says UPU Youth Wing Sec.

–Urges Indigenes Not To Heat Up The Polity By Twisting Facts

-Decries Recent Killings By Suspected Herdsmen

A human rights activist and Secretary, Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, Youth Wing, Comrade Efemena Umukoro, has debunked insinuations that the move to demolish illegal structures in Abraka Main Market by the council Chairman, Ethiope East Local Government Area, Chief Faith Majemite, has political undertones.

Speaking to Oasis Magazine (OM) during an exclusive chat, the UPU Youth scribe disclosed that he was contacted by several market traders on the issue.

According to him, people must avoid heating up the polity unnecessarily by twisting facts when issues are considered.

He said: “The market is not an APC market, neither is it a PDP market,” adding that the elder sister of the Vice Chairman of the council, Comrade Izu Christopher, was a victim of the said incident.

He continued: “I can categorically tell you that this demolition is not political, but aimed at developing Abraka market. I came into Abraka yesterday because of the several calls I got on the matter.

“The council chairman told me that the said demolition is for security and expansion of the market,” recalling what happened sometime ago in Abavo market where traders on the road were crushed by a moving vehicle.

However, he said that people are considering it political because it was done immediately after the elections, stressing that the timing was wrong.

Continuing, he said: “It is clear that we need to save lives. There is nothing like the traders are been marginalized because Ogboru won Ethiope East. Those that know Faith Majemite know that she has a motherly heart.

“I told her that there are some persons that have already paid some dues and rents for this year and she responded that the council is aware of this and that there would be due compensation for those so affected.”

He called on the leaders of the PDP and APC in the area to caution their media aides who he said are causing damage with their posts on the social media which is capable of tearing the community apart.

To Chief Evance Ivwurie, Member representing the constituency and Hon. Innocent Anidi, Member-elect, he urged them to also caution their aides to desist from provoking comments on the social media.

He added: “I am from Kokori and I urge all Abraka people and Ethiope Easterners to live as a family as we look forward to the progress of the council.

“What are even been removed now are illegal structures like caravans and not a total demolition of the market. If after all these, she does not do what she has promised to do, then we can come together and castigate her.”

To those that have criticized the council authority for singling out Abraka Market, he said: “Abraka is like the headquarters and heartbeat of Ethiope East. If she decides to start from the urban areas I do not see anything wrong with that.

APC members should stop saying they are been witch-hunted.”

“I am excited that the council Chairman is PDP and the House of Assembly Member-elect is APC. There will be check and balance,” he averred.

He further advised the council chairman to continue to carry on with her people-oriented programmes and ignore unnecessary critics of her good policies, as he called on her to fulfill her promise of compensation to those that have paid their rents.

Reacting to the recent killings by Fulani herdsmen, he called on people to stop apportioning blames, saying that those that have won and lost elections should come together and protect lives and property.

He also bared his mind on the possible solutions to the Fulani herdsmen scourge in Abraka.

“When CP Zanna Ibrahim was Commissioner of Police he brought his own strategy to curb the killings in Abraka and it worked. He brought 62 mobile policemen to secure the community after a protest staged by Conference of Delta Central Comrades (CDCC). I was the security Chairman of the protest then. This protest was successful because Zanna keyed into our advice and Abraka enjoyed relative peace then.

“There should be 24 hours surveillance. This will scare the killers away,” he said.

Umukoro applauded Ivwurie over his input towards tackling the excesses of herdsmen in the area.

Speaking further, he said: “Evance wrote several petitions and even went to the bush, while we were on the field complementing his actions as activists. The people of Abraka must wake up and put a stop to these killings. If we keep quiet, these killers can one day go to the market and shoot innocent traders dead.

“While I was at the police station yesterday, I saw about five families that came to lay complaint over the murder of their close relatives by herdsmen.”

He called on the new CP in the state to implore the style of CP Ibrahim where policemen secured the bush for the farmers to be secured.