• Protest trails closure of businesses at NIPOST premises in Enyimba City
From Ogbonnaya Ndukwe, Aba
Over 300 petty traders who were recently ejected from their shops within the Aba main post office premises in Abia State have protested to the state and federal governments over the alleged ill treatment they received while being sacked from the location.
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-1718806029429-0’); });
The traders, mostly dealers in stationery items and books, engaging in secretarial business services and newspaper sales, said they were asked to vacate their shops by unknown persons who claimed that the post office premises had been sold to their principal by the government.
According to the leader of the traders, Igwe Ogbonnaya, some of them have been doing business on the premises for over 30 years, paying agreed rent and being issued official receipts by the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST).
Ogbonnaya said it was therefore unacceptable for some unknown individuals to surface to direct them to vacate their business locations without official information from the real owners, the federal government, represented by the Post Master General or any of his known lieutenants: “We are genuine tenants of NIPOST. We pay our rents and are given official receipts. We were surprised when some unknown individuals came and began asking us out claiming that the premises had been sold to them by the government.
“We’ve written several letters to the state and federal governments to confirm what we heard but received no response from both authorities.”
The traders emphasised that, while they were not against government asking them to leave its property, due process ought to have been followed, even as they denied receiving any official information or letters directing them to vacate their shops.
Another trader who gave his name as Okey Nworu corroborated Ogbonnaya’s claims, insisting that it was illegal to eject a genuine tenant without prior notice.
He appealed to the government to intervene in the matter by ensuring that justice prevailed and said that, though they were being coaxed into creating scenes of violence, the affected traders would appreciate government’s efforts to settle the matter amicably.
Asked what would be their next action should the authorities insist on their leaving the shops, the traders expressed their preparedness to move into any other area provided for them by the state government, in view of the fact that they were genuine citizens paying their taxes as and when due to the state: “We don’t have anything against the government but we need valid information. Let them respond to our inquiries, and we really want to state government to come to our rescue.”
Staffers of the post office were seen at work when Daily Sun visited the location but those approached for reaction declined to speak on the traders’ eviction.
The post Agony of Aba petty traders appeared first on The Sun Nigeria.
