By Steve Oko
UMUAHIA — Thirteen years after their relocation from the heart of Umuahia to Ubani Ultra-modern Market, thousands of traders are counting their losses, battling dwindling patronage and watching their businesses crumble as they accuse the Abia State Government of abandoning them.
From collapsing shops overtaken by weeds to deplorable internal roads, heaps of refuse, poor sanitation and the absence of electricity, water and banking facilities, the once-bustling market has become a symbol of dashed hopes for traders who say their compliance with the government’s relocation order has left them economically stranded.
They are now appealing to Governor Alex Otti to urgently intervene before the market, which was conceived as the commercial hub of Umuahia, collapses completely.
Their grievances go beyond decaying infrastructure. They include dwindling sales, the exodus of traders, alleged inconsistency in the enforcement of the market relocation policy, the burden of an annual ₦36,000 levy per shop and the absence of a promised alternative access road which traders say could reduce traffic congestion and road accidents.
The market, formerly known as Umuahia Daily Market, was relocated from the popular Isigate area of the city in 2013 during the administration of former Governor Theodore Orji. Its former site now houses the Umuahia Central Bus Terminal.
When the market was moved to its present location, about seven kilometres from the city centre, between Umuahia and Uzuakoli in Bende Local Government Area, it initially attracted traders and customers in large numbers.
The government had justified the relocation as part of efforts to decongest Umuahia and spread development beyond the city centre. It then provided luxury buses to convey traders and customers to the new market at heavily subsidised rates, while shop owners at the old location were allocated land to construct new shops.
With more than 10,000 lock-up shops, in addition to thousands of open stalls, the market initially enjoyed considerable patronage. It also had facilities including a fire station, conveniences and security posts.
But traders say the initial promise has gradually given way to neglect, with many businesses struggling to survive and some shops abandoned or collapsing.
They trace the deterioration partly to what they describe as the failure of successive administrations, particularly that of former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, to sustain the original relocation policy.
According to them, the alleged lax enforcement of the relocation order allowed traders to return to available spaces around Isigate and other parts of the city centre, drawing customers away from Ubani and undermining businesses whose owners had complied with the government’s directive.
During a visit to the market by Vanguard, traders recounted painful experiences, describing a deteriorating commercial environment in which some struggle to cover their daily expenses.
‘This market does not look six months old’
A provisions dealer, Mr Ugochukwu Okeke, popularly known as Onwa, identified poor internal roads, lack of electricity, declining patronage and the absence of the promised alternative access road via Umueze as major challenges confronting traders. He said the failure to construct the proposed Ubani–Agbo–Umueze Road had continued to expose road users to the dangers of the busy Umuahia–Uzuakoli Road.
” In 2013 when we were asked to relocate to this place, Government promised to build a shorter route to the market passing through Umueze and Agbo to make it easily accessible from the city but up till today we have not seen it. The other day, a trader was returning to the City after the day’s sales and boarded a tricycle. On their way through the busy Uzuakoli road, a trailer had a break failure and rammed into the Keke. The head of the woman was cut off immediately as a result of the impact. That woman wouldn’t have lost her life if the road Ubani-Agbo -Umueze Road were fixed as promised earlier by Government 13 years ago.
” Another challenge we face here is poor sales due to continued decline in the number of people coming to shop here. This is because of the existence of markets around Isigate. Many traders have continued to pull out of the market back to town and government is doing nothing but just watching helplessly. This is affecting the few of us that are here.
” This is 13 years we were forced to come here but this market does not look as if it has lasted for six months because it is going down everyday.”
Beyond the physical deterioration, Okeke said the absence of banks in and around the market had created security risks for traders who handle cash from daily sales. He recalled an incident in which a neighbouring trader allegedly lost a carton containing money after hiding it among refuse to prevent thieves from stealing the proceeds of his business.
” My neighbour sometime ago lost his carton of money here. He was putting the proceeds of the day’s sales inside the cartoon and kept it in the midst of refuse to avoid being stolen because there is no Bank in the market. Afterwards he collected a carton of refuse thinking it was the one containing money. On getting home he discovered he had forgotten his money outside and tili today he has not found it back.”
The trader also faulted the collection of an annual consolidated levy of ₦36,000 per shop, saying the financial burden had become difficult to bear amid poor sales.He appealed to the government to make the levy payable per trader rather than per shop, as he said was currently the practice.
” Last year they came and said we will be paying N36,000 per annum promising to use the revenue to solve our problems. We paid. The worst thing is that they are collecting this revenue based on the number of shops a trader has in the market. Although we pay, we don’t yet see anything they are doing with it.
” I’m not sure the Governor is aware of this. That’s why I’m appealing to him to look into what is happening at Ubani Ultra-modern Market. We are suffering here. We are just merely surviving by God’s grace. There is no future for this market as long as the same Government continues to allow some traders return to Isigate. We heard that revenue collectors collect revenues from the traders there twice a day. That’s why they are not serious about forcing them out of that place. We are the ones suffering it here”.
‘Our business capital is depreciating’
A patent medicine dealer, Mr Michael Ubani, said the market’s fortunes would continue to decline unless the government enforced its relocation policy and addressed the infrastructure deficit. He said traders who obeyed the relocation directive had been left to bear the consequences while competing markets continued to operate within the city centre.
” We are hopelessly struggling to survive here. This is a stranded place for us because of its distance from the City metropolis. Government is not looking our way. Every effort to get Government’s attention to this market has been fruitless. You can see that traders are pulling from the market on daily basis due to lack of patronage.
” Amenities here are zero – no internal roads, no electricity. The Umueze – Agbo -Ubani road which would have provided a shorter route to the market is a total mess. We are regretting complying with Government’s order to relocate from town to this place 13 years ago. Our business capital is depreciating. You hardly cover your daily expenses here and that is why many traders are existing the market back to town.”
Ubani recalled that traders had protested at Government House last year in an attempt to draw the government’s attention to their plight.
According to him, although the then Commissioner for Trade and Investment promised to convey their complaints to the governor, the promised intervention had yet to materialise.
He said the traders were subsequently informed that the government was not generating revenue from the market, prompting the introduction of the annual ₦36,000 levy per shop.
” We took our matter to Government House last year. Unfortunately we did not meet the Governor but the Commissioner for Trade and Investment then promised to convey our grievances to the Governor. The Commissioner then told us that Government was not getting any revenue from the market. Since then we started paying N36,000 per shop every year. But we haven’t seen any Government intervention.
” We are pleading with the Governor to remember us. Some traders relocated to Imo State in protest when the former Government wanted to relocate to this place in 2013. Those of us who came here in obedience should not be made to think that we made a mistake. Ubani Ultra-modern Market traders need urgent Government intervention otherwise this market may soon shut down completely.
We are begging Gov Otti to hear our cries. This is the only main market in Umuahia capital City. Let the Government close down every other market in the town and ask everybody to be here so that this place can pick up”.
Another trader, Mr Chidiebere Uwakwe, who deals in nylon bags, said the continued operation of markets around Isigate was frustrating efforts to revive Ubani.
He said the deteriorating condition of the market was evident in the number of abandoned and collapsing shops, with traders watching their investments waste away.
” We are just wasting time here. Our business capital is evaporating in our hands. You can see that many shops have already collapsed here. Trees are growing in some of them. These were money of traders waisting due to government’s inconsistency. Why did they force us out of the former site of the Umuahia Daily Market inside town it they knew they were not serious about market relocation.”
Women traders count their losses
For women traders who depend on daily sales to feed their families and meet household expenses, the market’s decline has brought additional hardship.
Mrs Nkechinyere Odinkemere, a vegetable seller, and Mrs Comfort Ikwuagwu, a tomato dealer, corroborated the complaints, appealing to the government to address the traders’ concerns and restore commercial activity.
Ikwuagwu said the market had become unusually quiet despite its status as Umuahia’s main market.
” We are just idling away here. This place used to be busy but can’t you see it looks so dry like a school on vacation. We beg our amiable Governor not to allow this market shut down completely. We know our problem preceded his administration but he can do something for our sake”, Mrs Comfort pleaded.
Odinkemere said the average trader could hardly recover the cost of coming to the market, adding that some continued to open their shops simply because they had nowhere else to go.
She joined the call for the government to curb the proliferation of markets around the city centre and ensure that traders operated from Ubani.
” Since this is called main market, Government should not allow others markets inside the town. Everybody should be compelled to relocate to this place so that it will start to boom again and even attract development around here.”
Market chairman appeals to Otti
The Chairman of Ubani Ultra-Modern Market, Prince Chukwemeka Ebubedike, made a passionate appeal to Governor Alex Otti to rescue thousands of traders battling deteriorating infrastructure and declining business fortunes.
Ebubedike painted a grim picture of failed internal roads, collapsing shops, heaps of refuse, poor sanitation and the absence of basic amenities, including water.
“Our people are suffering,” he lamented. “The roads are bad, the infrastructure is collapsing, rain and wind have destroyed some shops, and refuse litters the market. We are pleading with our Governor to come to our rescue and give this market the attention it deserves.”
The market chairman recalled that the issue had been raised during the governor’s media chat, where Otti reportedly assured that his Chief of Staff would visit the market and that rehabilitation works would commence afterwards.
However, Ebubedike said months had passed without any intervention.
He stressed that traders had remained law-abiding and continued to pay the annual government levy of ₦36,000 per shop despite the difficult conditions.
According to him, the market leadership has also mobilised traders to register for their Permanent Voter Cards and participate actively in the democratic process, insisting that citizens who fulfil their civic and financial obligations deserve the attention and protection of the government.
Ebubedike urged Otti to prioritise the rehabilitation of internal roads, the renovation of dilapidated shops and the construction of the proposed access road linking Ubani Market to Abo Ibeku through Junior Gate.
He argued that the access road would provide an alternative route to the market, ease congestion on the busy Umuahia–Uzuakoli Road, reduce the risk of accidents and improve patronage.
Beyond demands for improved infrastructure in the market, Ubani market traders are appealing for protecting of their livelihoods, recovery of their lost investments and prevention of a once-promising commercial hub from becoming a graveyard of abandoned businesses.
Some residents hold the opinion that if Ubani market is revived, the current quest by money -conscious landlords to convert every available space in the City centre into a shopping plaza would stop.
Ubani market traders call for Government’s urgent intervention. For them, 13 years after complying with the relocation order is long enough for government to fulfil the promises that accompanied their move.
Their plea to Otti is urgent: rehabilitate the market, provide a shorter access road promised by past administrations, address the infrastructure deficit and ensure that traders can earn a living from the place they were directed to call their commercial home.
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