Following years of abandonment by their owners. Over Five thousand (5,000) lock-up shops at the Alaba International market, Oba, Idemili South local government area of Anambra state have been overtaken by rodents and snakes
The multi-million naira market located along the new Nnewi/Oba road has been under lock and key for decades with little or no business activities going on there.
The majority of the shop’s owners reportedly locked their shops with the intention of reopening them when the business picked up in the market.
Worried over the pitiable condition of the market, the leadership of the market has warned traders whose shops were locked to make haste to open them to avoid losing their shops over non-compliance.
The caretaker committee chairman/presiding officer, Pastor Samuel Chukwudiafu, threatened to revoke the locked shops if the owners remained adamant about their decision.
He gave them October 31 deadline or be ready to forfeit the shops.
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According to him, “If you don’t open your shops between now and end of October, by the first day of November, you have forfeited your shop to the owners of the market. The owners of this market have empowered us to open such locked shops for occupation by interested traders.”
Chukwudiafu further explained that the market was grouped into four sections for administrative efficiency and easy identification, expressing optimism that the market would soon witness business activities.
He also hinted at the cost-effectiveness of the shops to ensure its affordability for both indigenes and non-indigenes of the area.
His words, “The shop allocation is almost free. You just pay N1000 for registration and N5, 000 for the allocation of a shop to you where you stay for one year.
“It is just free to help the people of Oba and non-indigenes instead of staying at home doing nothing”.
On his part, the Secretary, Mazi Sonny Agubosi said, “You need not lock the shops and stay in your house, after all the allocation of the shop is free, just N1000 registration and N5, 000 allocation for a whole year.”
The market’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Chukwuebuka Michael explained that the vision of those who built the market was to assist the people of the area fend for themselves through trading.
“Just stay in the market with just your N6, 000 and within two to three years you make your money,” he noted.
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