Tension In Anambra Community Over Market Development

Tension has mounted in Nimo community, Njikoka LGA, Anambra State, over plans by the local government to remodel the community’s market, popularly known as “Oye Nimo”.

A group of indigenous daughters of the community, under the aegis of “Umuada Nimo General Assembly,” at the weekend staged a protest against the manner in which the local government’s chairman, Hon. Chinedu Ononiba, was handling the market development.

They accused the local government chairman of not consulting stakeholders and other shop owners in the market, but allegedly adopted a “mafian and commando style” in the manner the council was going about the market remodelling.

The spokesperson and convener of the Umuada Nimo General Assembly, Mrs Cecilia Chinyere Isineyi, told newsmen at the community’s civic centre, known as “Egwegwe Square” where hundreds of the aggrieved Nimo daughters converged on and later went round the community, raining curses on those allegedly exploiting and intimidating the natives.

Isineyi emphasised that they were not against any initiative to develop Nimo, and the market in particular, saying, “Umuada Nimo welcome every type of development; we embrace the market development, but any market development plan that is not done through consultation, meetings, following due process, consulting stakeholders, but tends to dispossess our people of their shops is counter-productive.

“When we got the information about the plans to develop the Oye Nimo market, we wrote to the local government chairman, Hon. Chindu Ononiba, and, we advised him to consult the stakeholders but, as I speak to you now, we are not aware that he has consulted anybody, but, we have heard that he has issued 14-days altimatum for every trader to vacate their shops in Oye Nimo”.

The aggrieved Nimo daughters wore black blouses and scarves, carrying already discarded brooms and cutlasses with which they went round sweeping and clearing dirty parts of the town, including the Oye Nimo Market, which, according to Isineyi, symbolised that they were cleansing the community of all undesirable people, particularly those exploring the natives, causing a crisis in the town.

Meanwhile, the council boss has dismissed as false the allegations by the aggrieved Umuada Nimo that the local government did not consult stakeholders on the market remodelling project.

Besides stating that there was no group in the community known to the government in the state and the local government council in particular as “Umuada Nimo General Assembly” the council boss, stated that the government’s recognised leaderships in the town included: “Nimo Town Development Union (NTDU); Nimo Town Development Union (Women Wing), and, the town’s traditional institution headed by the traditional ruler, Igwe Maxi Ikeoliobi.

He said that the local government has consulted all three arms of the community’s Leadership concerning the Oye Nimo Market remodelling project, and that they were happy with the council’s initiatives.

Ononiba also stated that the local government made adequate arrangements to provide the traders with alternative market spaces for about five months, during which the market remodelling would take place.

He also said that the project would cost the local government about N400 million, that a total of 250 shops would be constructed in the market, and that the entire market would be remodelled into storey buildings of 20 shops each.

He also said that two motor parks, modern public conveniences including toilets, and solar-powered lighting facilities would be provided in the market.

Ononiba stated that at the end of the market development, all traders would regain their shops and would not be required to pay any money for the market’s remodelling.

“He emphasised that the market development was targeted to boost the economy of the town, and expressed surprise that patriotic indigenous of the town would ever kick against the government’s genuine intention to remodel the market, which, according to him, is one of the most popular local markets in the state, but which had remained with shanties since its existence more than 200 years ago.

The council boss also denied the allegations that the local government has plans to take over the communal land known as “ala Owa”, as alleged by the aggrieved daughters of the town, stating, however, that the sponsors of the protesters were those his administration stopped from illegal sand mining in the communal land.

He clarified that the local government had no hand in the communal land and would not have any interest in the natives’ squabbles over it. Still, he warned that “as the chief security officer of the local government, I will not tolerate anything controversial over the communal land that will cause insecurity in the community”.