रेलोकातिंग उयो मैं MARKET

RELOCATING UYO MAIN MARKET

Etuk Street is one of the most popular and well known streets in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital, its runs beside Uyo Main Market, from Aka Road to Udo Umana Street. Etuk Street can be described as a bachelor’s market, where young men go to in the evening to pick one or two food items for their kitchens whenever they have time to cook. It is a market for busy professionals and working wives who may not have the luxury of going to the main market to do their shopping. It also serves as beginners’ market and as an alternative to new or indigent traders who cannot afford the exorbitant rent for shops to start their businesses. In Uyo, Etuk Street is another name for street trading. It has attained the status of a market as people refer to it as Urua Etuk.

The popularity (or is it notoriety) of the street is because it host the largest number of street traders in the state. Even people, who have shops and stores inside the Uyo Main market some times, abandon the comfort of their shops to sell along the street while some shop owners still have outposts at Etuk Street; and many retire to Etuk Street daily when the main market closes by 6pm.

For about a week now “Urua Uyo” has been closed down over an alleged murder of a sanitation official in the market. I learnt that the sanitation officials had gone to the market to stop traders who occupied Etuk Street, from trading there. Trading at Urua Etuk has been going on there since the creation of Akwa Ibom State. Before the latest closure it appeared that the market has come to stay as the traders have resisted all efforts by the authorities to stop trading along Etuk Street. For years now there have been no vehicular movements along most part of the street except late in the night when the traders have concluded their businesses.

According to market sources, one of the boys who collect revenue or “ticket” from the Etuk traders had stabbed a driver of a vehicle that brought some sanitation officials to the street. This was a clear case of clash of interest between two government agents. I learnt some members of the executive committee of the Uyo Main Market Traders Association have been arrested in connection with the incident and alleged murder but the “revenue officials” who fought with the sanitation team are no way to be found.

If these revenue collectors were actually in the employment of Uyo local government council which is supposed to sell tickets to traders, the council should be able to trace them. Or if the collection of revenue at the market was given to a revenue contractor, the contractor should be held to produce his staff. If one may ask why would a revenue official attack a sanitation officer, a fellow government staff who was on a lawful assignment? Government should find out who gave the boys the authority to collect revenue from Etuk Street and to whom they make returns. The revenue staff that killed the sanitation staff might have done this to protect his job or “survival” because if Etuk Street is closed his pocket would close too. He might have been collecting the revenue illegally. Some traders along Etuk Street have lamented how the “ticket collectors” terrorized sellers along the street who ventured to delay payment for ticket in the past. Stories abound of how wares are confiscated, damaged or destroyed outright when the traders failed to pay as at when a demand is made.

Various administrations have tried to stop street traders from taking over Etuk Street, the stubborn and adamant traders have always refused to budge. The traders would go off the street for sometime and return after some days. On some occasions the traders would be off the street during the day and only to return in the evenings. And when the main market closed by 6 pm some traders from there would now move their wares to Etuk Street.

This is the best opportunity for the state government to effect the relocation of the Uyo main market from the city centre to the outskirt of the city. Uyo people are heady and government cannot stop street trading along Etuk Street as long as the main market exists; the two must go together. Government may use the current market location as a car park for people doing business in the adjoining streets of Aka, Oron roads and others. The Ibom Plaza can also be extended to cover what is currently the Uyo market. Also government can acquired the land and build a shopping mall in the place.

Moving Uyo Market from its present location would no doubts witness some resistance by indigenes of Uyo village and other landlords who own shops there? There is some emotional attachment to the present market by stakeholders besides the lost in revenue that might occurred. Government should evaluate such property and compensate the owners accordingly. The market should be move to Akpandem market and the Itam market, in the interim while a modern and bigger market should be constructed to befit the status of Uyo.

As street trading is stopped at Etuk Street same action should be taken at the Itam Peace Column. The road around the Peace Column is almost impassable on market days. On Etaha market days the road leading from Uyo to Ikot Ekpene is partially blocked as the traders have abandoned the Itam market for the main road. This road is a major gateway into the state capital and it is an eye sore on market days and subsequent days as refuse from trading activities litter the entire environment. After the commissioning of the Itam Market late last year what is responsible for it not being put to maximum use? Why are the stalls empty and unallocated?

Government should not succumb to any blackmail or plea by those who may be affected by the relocation of the markets. There may be arguments that the time is not yet proper for such relocation, I want to observe that there may never be an appropriate time to relocate the market; at any point in time people would always have excuses why the market should not be move till a later date. Traders moving from Uyo market should be given preference in the allocation of stalls at the Akpandem and Itam market. Allocation of stalls should not be on party or ethnic affiliations rather genuine traders should be the real beneficiaries. The stall allocation should not be like the taxi allocation where genuine commercial drivers where shortchanged and party stalwarts are now owners of taxi which they have converted to personal use. Also, if need be, extension of the two markets can be carry out to accommodate the influx of traders from Urua Uyo.
The traders should be given a period of time maybe, seven days to pack their goods from the market. Government should guarantee maximum security at the market to protect lives and property as well as avert looting. Also the security agents must be on the lookout for arsonists as some persons may attempt to set the market on fire in a bid to discredit the government. Movement within and around the market should be restricted to specific time of the day when the traders are allowed to come to the market and remove their wares. It would be hard and harsh on the traders and the government may be unpopular for awhile but this must and has to be done.

Reactions to itaetim@yahoo.com

or text 08037269329