Posted by By Elyger Agwu on
Traders at the Mile 3 market in Port Harcourt on Monday locked up their stalls in protest over what they described as arbitrary increase in rent by the market authority.
...Councillor says it is illegal
Traders at the Mile 3 market in Port Harcourt on Monday locked up their stalls in protest over what they described as arbitrary increase in rent by the market authority.
Some of the traders who spoke with this publication described the fee as astronomical. They also said that demand for the new fee was so urgent that they have no alternative than to close the shops. They described as wickedness the increment from N1,600 to N6,000 per month.
According to the traders, problem started last Saturday when they were notified of the sudden increment but just on Monday some task force members came in immediately to harass traders.
As a quick reaction, the traders locked the shops as well as the market gates.
In a counter-reaction, the Port Harcourt city local government, which oversees the market quickly moved in and opened the market.
Hon. Anyawata Ferdinand, the supervisory councillor for works in PHALGA described the action of the traders as illegal and lawlessness, explaining that the council has been very accommodating by creating very cordial relationship between it and the traders.
Hon. Ferdinand denied claim by the traders that the council sent task force agents to the market on the day in question but, explained that the traders were only being reminded of the need to make payment. He also claimed that increment was as the result of negotiations between the council and the traders.
According to the supervisory councillor for "we negotiated to hear their views and the Mayor shifted his original stance to accommodate their appeal. Now the union has gone to pursue traders from their stalls and lock up the market. This is lawlessness".