Traders at the demolished Kenyatta Street Market in Enugu have lamented the destruction of their livelihoods by the state government.
Business owners at the market were on Thursday seen with their goods on the street as the demolition of their place of business some of them have had for decades was going on.
Standardobservers gathered that the demolition was carried out as a way of forcing the traders to relocate to the new market along Enugu-Port Harcourt express Road.
But the traders said that the state government allocated most of the shops to politicians and their cronies who were never traders at the old market.
According to them, the politicians were reselling the shops at exorbitant prices as shops at the new site cost between N2-7 million each while annual rents were N500 thousand and above which they could not afford due to the economic hardship in the country.
A trader, Ikem Ejimofor told our correspondent that despite obtaining a court order against the demolition, the state government still went ahead and demolished the market.
He expressed worry over the fate of the traders who do not have other means of taking care of their families, adding that the demolition will increase their economic hardship.
Meanwhile, Frank Nwaeke Jr, the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA for the 2023 election has condemned the demolition.
Nwaeke who was at the market to assess the impacts of the demolition said property worth millions of naira were destroyed.
He added that some of the traders who couldn’t bear the stark reality of their loss slumped and were rushed to hospital.
“I condemn the destruction of shops by the Enugu State Government at the Kenyatta market, Uwani Enugu yesterday. Goods and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed.
“Some of the traders who couldn’t bear the stark reality of their loss slumped and were rushed to hospital.
“Nigerians have gone and continues to go through hardship on a daily basis and the government must work hard to eliminate these daily struggles and not increase it.
“The government should provide affordable amenities, options and rebuild trust FIRST before destruction.
“This kind of insensitive and callous action from leadership will never happen where the people are represented by those who are sympathetic to their affairs and are passionate about their growth and development”.
