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The row raging on since the commissioning of Rumuwoji Market popularly known as Mile One Market Port Harcourt by Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike few weeks ago is now sending the ex-chairman Rumuwoji Traders’ Association chief Y.O.C Georgewill into hiding as news about his makeshift stall located opposite Mile One Police Station Port Harcourt being under siege and lock and key by the Orders of the Mayor of Port Harcourt City, Honourable Victor Ihunwo is generating fear and anxiety among his supporters of the ex-Chairman. First, it was gathered that before the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Rumuwoji Market into ultra-Modern Market by Governor Wike, the Old Mile One market has traders who legitimately procured stalls with official receipts and payment of levies to the Port Harcourt City Council via the Market masters supervision. But when it got engulfed in a disastrous inferno in 2013, it is alleged that statistics of the victims were compiled by the Local Government Council Government with the promise to compensate those who legitimately acquired stalls whenever a new building must have been erected. But the reverse seems to have been the case when, upon the commissioning of the Rumuwoji market, Governor Wike used executive Fiat to remove the control of the market from the hands of Mayor Victor Ihunwo ordered for ballot approach for the allocation and using his powers to reserve greater chunk of the over three thousand stalls to Rumuwoji community being host of the Market promising to provide start-up grants for them.
Angered by the neglect and abandonment, the ex-chairman of Rumuwoji Market, Chief Y.O.C Georgewill went on to grant press interview via Wazobia 94.1FM radio station where he explained that his group being the victims of inferno in 2013 will not fold their arms and see injustice being meted to them having been rendered cashless since the mishap took place and now their future is in the hands of the Executive Governor. He reiterated that the only option left for his group may not be unconnected with approaching the Court to seek redress if within 14-Days their stalls were not re-allocated to them.
Immediately he raced out from his home he was arrested at Mile One Police Division and it was alleged that Market Masters quickly locked his makeshift Stall made of wooden materials and old waste corrugated zinc surrounded with tarpaulin materials. When women got wind of what transpired, they quickly mobilized and seized the shop and unlock it. Unknown to the women eleven of them were rounded up by Police men and they were detained by the order of the Mile One Divisional Officer. A middle age lady victim from Opobo who spoke to this reporter under anonymity said “I was among the group of women who stormed the makeshift shop of Chief Georgewill who sells household items with old fancy traditional materials including stoves, stove ropes, old copper ironing metal and twain ropes. We went there to reopen his shop which we did but Policemen arrested us and took us to their station where they kept us behind the Counter without putting us in their Cells. They later released us and came back to get the shop finally re-locked this time around with double keys too heavy to destroy.” When asked about the whereabouts of the ex-Chairman of Old Mile One market, she was quick to retort “ I don’t know but we gathered that he doesn’t come out frequently to the market as he used to do in the past when his stall was not locked.”
The rumour
making rounds has it that the new stalls ranging over three thousand (3,000) if
allocated by the Rivers state governor will be estimated to cost the sum of
Four Million Naira N4millon each. And this will if not appropriately managed by
Rivers state Governor Cause further brouhaha among Rumuwoji Mile One Market
community in Port Harcourt.