Egbo Grants Appeal Of Traders, Reviews Rent Of Stores In Ughelli Market

By Daniel Dafe

Chairman, Ughelli North Local Government, Olorogun Jaro Movudu Egbo has approved the request of traders in Ughelli Foodstuff and Goods Markets to further review the current rent of Lock-up Stalls from N48, 000.00 to N12,000.00  per annum.

This was contained in a statement on Friday signed by Ase Timothy R.E., Head of Personnel Management.

The traders had earlier written to the council chairman calling for a review of the rent that was increased from N6, 000 to N48, 000.

The appeal letter dated August 9, 2024 and signed by Mrs. Evelyn Ogheneovo and Mrs. Oyiboluawhore Dorcas for Goods Market and Comr. Johwo Olotu and Mrs. Blessing Ikogho for Food Market, added that they have spent money for the development and progress of the market by building toilets, flooring the grounds, payment of security bills, dug boreholes for water and installed water tanks.

“We built the stalls, constant maintenance and a lot of other expenses,” they said.

“We ask that you reduce the amount of rent from N48,000.00 (Forty Eight Thousand Naira) annually to N12,000.00 (Twelve Thousand Naira) annually since that is what we can afford occasioned by the prevailing hardship,” the traders said in their letter.

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Continuing, the council boss however urged the leadership of both markets to strictly adhere to the laid down rules for the sustainability of the market.

The rules include prohibition of reconstruction/conversion of 2 or more stalls to a single store; proper numbering of all the market stalls to ascertain the total numbers of the shops in the market; market women’s co-operation with the council in her efforts to expand the numbers of stores in some section of the market, adding that the council frowns at arbitrary sub-lease of allocated stalls to beneficiaries, just as the council warned that “any breach of this clause may result in the loss of such stall(s)/shop(s) by defaulters.”