Demolition of markets Nwaoriubi traders count losses, condemn Govt’s action -

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By Justice Nwafor

With hands moving up and down in consonance with her wailing words, Mrs. Nkechi Okafor tearfully tells her story of agony. She reveals how the demolition of her shop at the Nworiubi market has rendered her financially devastated.

‘ I have no other means of income apart from my shop. Now that the shop has been demolished, I don’t know what to do”, Mrs Okafor agonized.

The story of Mrs. Okafor represents the fate of some of the traders whose shop located at Nworiubi market, Mbaitoli Local Government area of Imo State, were demolished by the state government on Thursday

The demolition which started during the early hours of Thursday, according to some of the traders at the market, took them by surprise as they were not prepared to vacate the market yet.

Speaking to Trumpeta, a trader who pleaded anonymity for fear of victimization condemned the action of the state government which he described as “inhuman”.

In his words, “I was surprised when I came here and saw the market is being demolished. What does the government want us to do? How do we survive in this kind of economy? This is wickedness, it is inhuman”.

A visit to the market on Thursday afternoon showed that most parts of the market has been reduced to debris even as the demolition was still ongoing.

It would be recalled that some markets in the state have recently been demolished in pursuance of the urban renewal drive of the state government.