Rivers APC Berates Wike over Demolition of Ikokwu Motor Spare Parts Market with no Ready Alternative

*Blames Governor Wike for not intervening to protect the business interest of the Traders

BY IBRAHIM BAKARE

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed shock over the demolition of Ikokwu Motors spare parts market and the fate of traders who have lost their shops with no alternative location.

Former Ikokwu Motor Spare parts market levelled by Bulldozers from new owner of the land

The traders  were issued eviction notices by a Private investor who bought over area in August this year. Despite all appeals by Traders to the State Government to intervene and prevail on the new investor for an extension of time to make arrangements for a new location fell on deaf ears.

Traumatized Traders watched helplessly as  bulldozers from the yet to be identified private new owners  level their business places yesterday.

But the APC in a statement released by the Rivers State Publicity Secretary, Chief Ogbonna Nwuke, former Lawmaker representing Etche-Omuma federal Constituency said it was shocked that appropriate steps were not taken to relocate the traders before their shops were destroyed.

He said, “Our sympathy is with all traders whose shops have been destroyed at the instance of an investor whose background is unknown.

“We know that you are in great pain at this time. Some of you probably have nowhere to safeguard your wares. Your shops meant everything to you.

“We ought to operate a system that is kinder and humane; a system which understands that traders like other individuals make contributions to the growth of the society. Unfortunately, this has not been the case.”

“We had hoped that the Governor of Rivers would have intervened to ensure that the traders were properly relocated before their shops were demolished.

“In our view, these traders would have been given a little more time to move to alternative places. We are aware that Government has offered a spot at Iriebe to the traders. How ready is the place in terms of security and the provision of other infrastructure required to receive the embattled traders?”

The APC said it has a lot of respect for all who labour to earn a living for themselves and their families.

“We have a lot of regard for all those who are struggling to earn a living. They contribute to our GDP as a nation and take care of the family unit which is the bedrock of any country.

“This is why the APC led Federal Government has invested efforts in supporting SMEs and small time traders through schemes that offer financial opportunities in order to ensure that they survive in these hard times,” Nwuke said.

Our Correspondent reports that Ikokwu Motors spare parts market is the largest Motor spare parts market in Rivers State and records multi-million Naira business transactions on daily basis.