Pandemonium, As Majemite Directs Destruction Of Abraka Main Market

-Don’t Trivialise, Politicise The Relocation Directive, Council Chair Tells Traders

By Daniel Dafe

There was pandemonium yesterday evening, as traders in Abraka Main Market in Ethiope East Local Government of Delta State moved out of the market premises in order to relocate after they received a directive from the Council Chairman, Chief Faith Majemite, to move out of the area to enable the council carry out the destruction of the popular Abraka Main Market.

Some of the traders believe that the move was to punish traders for voting candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the just concluded elections that saw the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate for the House of Assembly in the area lose his re-election bid.

Information at our disposal has it that a town crier announced the quit notice two days ago at 6:00p.m, warning strongly that failure to obey the directive within 24 hours would be met with serious consequences.

We also gathered that early today, the market men and women matched to the King’s palace for intervention, but were shocked when they were told by the palace officials that the directive was beyond the king’s intervention.

As the traders retired to their shops when they returned from the palace, they were greeted with the arrival of bulldozer ready for the action.

At the time of filling this report, the traders were busy packing their wares.

When interviewed, a market woman simply identified as Rose told our reporter that their only crime was because they voted for APC as against PDP’s candidates.

In a swift reaction to the allegations of the traders, the council boss, Chief Majemite, opined that the market was below standard, adding that there were plans to build a befitting market and for the now there were other markets in the community that they could trade in.

Majemite who spoke to Oasis Magazine (OM) during a phone conversation said there are plans to remove all illegal structures from the market.

She said that the council was trying to prevent a tragedy, saying that the market was too close to the road and was accident-prone because of the busy traffic along the road.

Furthermore, she wondered why some of the traders are trying to politicize the issue.

“There are PDP and APC members in the said market. So those saying that we are out to punish the community for not voting PDP are only trying to politicize the matter and must stop that forthwith.”

She called on the traders to be hopeful and expect the Delta State Government to build a befitting market in the community soon.