Traders In Abraka Main Market Shun Monarch’s Appeal, Close Shops, Continue Protests

By Daniel Dafe

Traders in Abraka main market in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State continued the closure of their shops on Tuesday, as day-2 of their seven-day protest continued despite appeals from leaders of the community to shelve the action.

Recall that on Monday, traders in the market began protests over alleged moves by the council authority to demolish and handover the market to private individuals.

Oasis Magazine learnt that on Monday evening, a town announcer said the king has appealed that the market be reopened from on Tuesday and that they should stop the daily routine of casting spells on their perceived enemies who they said are behind the ploy to dispossess them of their shops.

This appeal was turned down by the traders as some aged women (eghweya) were still seen going round the community protesting and casting spells on those against their welfare.

When Oasis Magazine visited the market on Tuesday, some traders who responded to questions under conditions of anonymity, said that some community leaders came around to appeal to them to open their shops.

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One of the traders said: “We started the protests since yesterday. Today, we are still continuing. But, the king said today we should trade market. But, we are still on the prayer. Women came to the market today to pray naked by 4am. We said to the chiefs that came to appeal to us to trade that they should tell the king that we cannot enter because women came to the market this morning to pray naked. So anybody that enters now will carry curses.

“Last two years, they scattered the market. Many people borrowed money from LAPO and tried to meet up with the payment for shade in the market. Many people have not finished paying the money back, they want to start again now that they want to scatter the market and the first debt some women are owing they have not finished paying it. We the women now said they should leave our market like that so that we can be managing it. You people want to scatter the market you cannot say stay here and be selling here first till we finish building the market. Many people in the market don’t have a husband or helpers. It’s the market that is helping them. If you pursue and destroy the market where will they start from. If you people want to help us, go and build market somewhere else to assist this market.”

Another trader who was asked what her message to the council chairman is, said: “My message to the chairman is that they should leave our market for us like this and go and build Urhuoka market so people that don’t have shops can go there and get shade.”

“They should go and meet the women to come and loose the swear and pray for the market so that we can enter the market,” she added

Attempt to speak with the monarch at then time of publishing this report was unfruitful ad he did not pick phone calls to his mobile phone.