Protesters on Monday blocked the Uselu/Ugbowo section of the
Benin-Lagos highway over plans by Egor Local Government Area of Edo
State to relocate traders.
The protesters, under the aegis of Uselu Market Women Association,
were resisting the directive to move to lock-up stores built by the
council.
The women, displaying placards, blocked both sides of the highway, preventing motorists from continuing with their trips.
Some of the women said the N1.2m charged for the stalls was too
expensive for them, especially given the type of businesses most of them
do.
The women said their problem was compounded by the action of the
local council, which commenced the removal of their make shift shops on
Monday.
One of the market women, Mrs. Celena Okon, described the council’s
action as “an act of wickedness”, in view of the current economic
situation in the country.
She said, “What am I selling that you will force me to pay over a
million naira for a single store? I believe they should consider the
worth of our businesses individually.
Where do you expect a woman who sells only crayfish or tomatoes to get
such a ridiculous amount of money to pay, when in actual fact most are
in dire need of additional funds to grow their businesses?”
Another market woman, Mrs. Imade Osifo, who described the situation
as pathetic, said their decision to barricade the highway was for the
world to know what they were going through.
She said, “They want to force us to go into the stores and we have
told them that we cannot afford the stores; that is why they are
destroying our businesses.”
Osifo, who accused the council of being insensitive, added, “When the
plan to construct these lock-up stores came up, they (council) told us
that the prices will be pocket friendly, especially to some of us
involved in petty trading.
“But what do we have now, N1.2m for a store is a price that most of
us cannot afford; there is no way many of us can afford that now.
“Even if the country’s economy was okay, how do you expect a woman who sells only salt and Maggi to generate such?” Osifo asked.
Credit- News Agency of Nigeria
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