Traders Blocking Enugu Major Roads ‘Settle’ Govt – Residents

The unrestrained manner traders in Enugu metropolis take over major roads situated around major markets and busy settlements to sell their goods in the evenings is a source of concern to the residents.

A survey by THE WHISTLER shows that from 5pm every day, traders selling in wheelbarrows, mats and umbrellas troop out to market their goods on the road.

This practice is more common at Mayor bus stop, Ogbete by Holy Ghost, and Abakpa by Texaco junction.

A trader at Abakpa, Martin Ugwu, said, “Such has been the practice since the exit of former Governor Sullivan Chime. Once it is evening, the road leading into Abakpa major market is taken over by traders operating on makeshifts. It is affecting those of us who have rented shops at approved areas because they obstruct buyers from accessing us.”

The story is the same at Ogbete Main Market, which is the largest market in the city.

John Idoko sells shoes and belts on the road.

He said, “Once it is 6pm, this double lane becomes impassable for motorists. We take over. We pay to the local government to sell by the roadside.”

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Ebubeagu Okafor, said incessant levies collected by many units in the state gave rise to granting illegal trading spaces for traders, including ‘in the middle of the roads’.

He said, “Genuine traders who rent shops in markets are being short-changed by such practice. Petty traders use wheelbarrows, umbrellas and mats to market on the road, thus blocking human and vehicular passages. If you interrogate them, you will be told that those illegal traders pay levies to elements of government authorities. The Holy Ghost roundabout is no more passable in the evening, and it is adjacent to the headquarters of Enugu North LGA. And they have task forces.”

The chairman of Ogbete Traders’ Association, Cosmas Ugwu, told THE WHISTLER that all efforts to stop the traders by his association proved abortive.

He said, “It seems there are organs of both the security and government collecting levies from them. I don’t know what else to be done. It is unfortunate.”

However, an insider in the market, on condition of anonymity, alleged that the traders pay tokens to Ogbete Traders’ Association as well as the LGA administration.

“It is called Uwangbede (evening business). They seem unstoppable, more so that they settle even security operatives that ought to check them.”

One of the traders said, “We have no options. We can’t rent shops, so we struggle for spaces by the roadside. Motorists don’t ply here in the evening because we do businesses on the road. What we sell are always cheaper because we don’t rent shops, and we struggle to sell everything we have. I pay some amount to be here, and it depends on who you are under. Spaces are rented on daily, weekly and even monthly bases. Some pay N100, N200 and N500 or more daily, depending on the space. Some traders acquire large spaces and sublet them.”

Efforts to speak with the information officer of Enugu North LGA, Scholar Igweani, failed as she was not in her office when our reporter went there.