Enugu Kenyatta Market Demolition: Ohanaeze sues for peace

The youth wing of apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has appealed for calm over the demolition of the electrical parts section of Kenyatta Market in Enugu State.

Reports that the demolition, executed by the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority has been generating controversies, with some members of the opposition parties condemning government’s action.

However, in a statement made available to journalists on Thursday by the National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, he urged all the actors not to politicize the matter.

Okwu, who acknowledged that the process of the relocation of the market had lintered for several years, said the pain of those affected by the demolition was well understood.

“We know that these are indeed hard times and for that reason, any action such as this is bound to be felt so hard by those affected.

“However, our findings show that the traders were given well over two years to relocate to the new market at Ugwuaji. We also learnt that the relocation process started even before this present government came on board.

“Based on this, we passionately appeal to politicians not to politicize this matter; everything must not be seen as an avenue to canvas for votes,” he said.

The Ohanaeze youths, however, appealed to the Enugu State Government to look into the complaints of the affected traders with regards to their difficulty in getting a space at the Ugwuaji Market.

According to him, “some of the traders are complaining that the cost of getting allocation there is too exorbitant. So, we are appealing to the listening Governor of Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to look into this and see how the genuine traders could be assisted.”