More than 3,000 widows trading in Ogbaru Market, in Ogbaru local government area of Anambra state, on Thursday, protested alleged forceful ejection from their present location at “Afia Coke” in Onitsha, the commercial city of the state.
The protesters, under the aegis of Chukeujekwu Agricultural Products Nig. Ltd., aka Many Widows, petitioned the wife of the state governor, Chief Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano, to save them from being ejected.
In a communiqué issued after their weekly prayer meeting at the market site, the group alleged that one Ngozi Ezeonu built some market stalls at Sarkamori area, a swampy axis of the River Niger, and colluded with some government agents to forcefully relocate them to the area.
The communiqué titled, “Appeal to Save us from Unlawful Harassment/Intimidation,” addressed to Chief Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano, and copied to the Commissioner of Women Affairs, as well as Commissioner for Commerce, Trade and Wealth Creation, and made available to newsmen in Onitsha, was signed by the duo of Mrs. Gloria Alaebonam (Chairperson) and Mrs Rose Igbo (Secretary).
The communiqué read in part, “We are crying for an urgent attention to our plights in the hands of people, who want to eject us from our market.
“Her Excellency, Nice Micro Finance Bank, Nise, and one Ngozi Ezeonu, constructed a market at an isolated area where hoodlums and MASSOB members have their base. This market is sited close to the dreaded Sarkamori drainage, close to the River Niger; and those that built it are colluding with some government officials to relocate us there.
“In 2016 when they were made to move to that particular site, majority of us were raped and some lost huge amount of money; while some accidentally drowned in the Sarkamori; a development that forced us to move back to our former base at Afia Coke, while some of us relocated to Asaba, Delta state, to settle for business.”
Describing those who set up the new market as selfish, the widows were optimistic that urgent intervention by Obiano’s wife would save them from being deprived of their means of livelihood.
Reacting, press secretary to the wife of the state governor, Mr. Emeka Ozumba, admitted he was aware that some women earlier protested at the government house.
He said, “The wife of the governor is not the right person to petition in matters of that nature, since there are authorities constituted by the state government to look after markets in the state.”
Efforts to get the reaction of Commissioner for Commerce, Trade and Wealth Creation, Dr. Christian Madubuko, was unsuccessful as calls and text messages put across to them were not replied as at press time.
Also, Ngozi Ezeonu and his cohorts accused of building the new market could not be reached for their comments.