Traders lament as Wike demolishes Trans-Amadi market

Tempers rose last week in Port Harcourt when the Rivers State Government demolished the popular Oginigba Trans-Amadi abattoir market.  Government cited criminal activities carried out in the market, as well as its filthy and polluted environment as reasons for demolishing the abattoir, established in 1980 by the Melford Okilo administration. The state government and hundreds […]

Tempers rose last week in Port Harcourt when the Rivers State Government demolished the popular Oginigba Trans-Amadi abattoir market.  Government cited criminal activities carried out in the market, as well as its filthy and polluted environment as reasons for demolishing the abattoir, established in 1980 by the Melford Okilo administration.

The state government and hundreds of multinational business establishments located within the popular Trans Amadi Industrial Layout saw the filthy environment as embarrassing. To them, the abattoir constituted a grave health concern to its users and hundreds of traders and visitors.

The most unpleasant period in the market is the rainy season, as mud and stinking water make movement difficult. Animal skin was roasted with used tyres, which creates thick black smoke over the city, said to be cancerous and constitutes a health hazard to those roasting it.

While shutting down the market, Governor Nyesom Wike argued that the filthy nature of the market would aid the spread of COVID-19. It was shut down for a year and seven months and eventually demolished. While other markets were reopened, the abattoir, where more than 90 cows were said to have been slaughtered on a daily basis, remained locked.

The affected traders cried, but their cry fell on deaf ears.

Traders and other stakeholders in the market have different opinions over the demolition. While many lamented that the exercise terminated their sources of livelihood, others see the action of the state government in good light.

Musa Baba Ahmed, the immediate past chairman of the market, said the affected traders lost millions of naira.

“We had a memorandum of understanding with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for five years. We paid certain fees to the ministry. When the market was shut down a year and seven months ago, we explained our ordeal to the ministry and we were exempted from further payments, pending when it would be reopened. We approached the ministry to assist us prevail on the state government to rescind its decision to drive us out of the market, but nothing came out from it,” Ahmed told our correspondent.

He said the state government had in August 2, 2021, notified traders in the market to vacate, saying they would be relocated to Mgbosimiri market, where a new abattoir would be built.

He said they lost millions of naira as a result of the demolition, saying the association was making moves to present its losses to the state government, with hope that they would be compensated.

He denied the allegation that the market served as a hideout for criminals, saying that all the traders were responsible men and women who carried out legitimate businesses.

One of the traders, Abudullahi Hamza, said that since the market was shut down and eventually demolished last week, he had been feeding from hand to month.

He said many people who were doing business in the market now beg to sustain their families.

“Our problem started in 2020 when the state government shut down the market as a result of COVID-19. Many of us saw reasons with the government because we felt the governor was taking measures to save lives. We became more worried when the market remained locked while others were reopened. We have been living from hand to month, hoping that the market would be reopened one day. But the worst happened last week when it was demolished. As it stands now, our condition has worsened.

“They said they were building a new abattoir, but how long will we wait?” He asked.

Another trader in the market, Jibrin Umar, said the demolition had brought untold hardship to his family and other dependants as his business was crippled, adding, “I am finding it very difficult to feed now,” he said.

Another trader, Michael Nnamdi said, “Hundreds of families have been displaced. Life is going to be tough for traders now. When the market was shut down, many traders used to display their wares by the road, some would hang around to look for customers. We were praying that one day God would touch the heart of the governor to reopen the market, but the worst happened last week when the market was demolished.

“The state government assured us that we would be accommodated in the new abattoir under construction at Nmgbosiri, but what would we be doing from now till when the project would be completed. Government should have given us an alternative place to do our business.”

A transporter, Segun Abayomi, said the value chain created in the market had been disrupted. “The market created a macroeconomic value chain that covered transportation, loading and offloading of goods. There were dealers in edible food items such as vegetables, spices, kitchen utensils, truck pushers, yam dealers and vet doctors who attended to animals. This value chain sustained many families, but with this demolition, it is not going to be easy for many people,” he said.

He called on the state government to provide an alternative business area for the displaced traders pending when the new abattoir would be completed.

Alhaji Musa Saidu, leader of the Hausa community in Rivers State, absolved the state government of any blame in the demolition of the market. He said the exercise was long overdue because of the hazards the polluted environment constituted in the area, as well as the criminal activities within the market.

“For certain reasons, we cannot blame the government. In the 1980s when the market was allocated to our people, the first abattoir was located at a place called Kaduna Street, but with development and urban renewal, the Melford Okilo administration reallocated the market to Trans Amadi.

“The market defaced the beauty of the area and it is no longer wise to continue to do business there. The entire area is dirty, and the smoke that comes out from tyres used in roasting animal skins polluted the environment.

 

“The second reason is that the market had become a hideout for criminals, who rob and kidnap people at random. There were reported cases of robbery and kidnapping within the abattoir and people have been complaining. Anytime there was an incident of robbery or kidnapping, fingers always pointed towards the direction of the market. It was really bad,” he said.

He blamed past leaders of the market association for the circumstances that led to the demolition.

Also, Alhaji Mua’zu Beli, a trader in the market said the governor had been good to traders, adding that he should not be blamed for the demolition.

“Governor Wike was very friendly with traders in the market, right from the time he was the chief of staff to former Governor Chibuike Amaechi.

“Amaechi had planned to demolish the abattoir on the ground that its location ran contrary to the urban renewal master plan of the state, but Wike prevailed on him to rescind his decision. That was how the market was not demolished that period. This time around, the place is no longer suitable for business. And given the criminal activities that went on there, the state government decided to demolish it.

“The state government gave one-month notice to traders to enable them move their things out. Government also promised to relocate them to the new abattoir under construction at Mgbosimiri, which I learnt would be completed in nine months time,” he said.

Some of the residents of the Oginigba community who spoke with our correspondent said the demolition of the market had brought relief to them, especially given the criminal activities that took place in the area.

Gift Amadinna said crime rate in the area had reduced since the market was demolished.

Speaking to journalists, the Commissioner for Agriculture in the state, Dr Fred Kpakol said, “The slaughter in Trans-Amadi has been permanently closed down and all trading activities have been directed to cease forthwith. A new project of the government will be built at the slaughter very soon.

“All occupants and those doing business there are hereby advised to move out of that land and premises on or before one month as government intends to do a new project in that area.”

Kpakol said the new abattoir would have the capacity to slaughter 400 cattle and 1,500 goats and sheep in a day, adding that it would be according to world standard.

Speaking when he inspected the demolished market, Governor Wike said the action was not targeted at any ethnic group. He said that over the years, criminal elements kept a large cache of weapons in the market. He expressed optimism that residents of Oginigba would now heave a sigh of relief from the activities of criminals.

He said it was mischievous for anyone to insinuate that the demolition was targeted at any particular ethnic or religious group, adding that there are several other abattoirs, such as the ones in Eliozu, Rukpokwu, Ogbogoro, which are still functional.

“Anybody bringing religious or ethnic coloration to the exercise doesn’t mean well for the people of the state and the country. I am not going to be perturbed or cowed. I am also not going to be blackmailed by anybody.

“People have been commending us. Go to the social media and see that people are saying they never believed a government could take this kind of drastic action that is long overdue.

“We don’t believe in doing things without giving a human face to governance. We tried to bring the Ministry of Agriculture to interface with them. It is our property. It is not as if people built and we are coming to take it. Government built this place with its fund,” the governor said.