……Delta Community PG Accuses LG Chairman Of Using Otovwodo Market As A Blackmail Before Governor
The people of Otovwodo community has caution politicians not to use incident of the market and traders trading on at walkway and roadside in to blackmail the community before the state government.
The president general of the community, Pastor Ovigue Ugbarugba, gave this caution while reacting to an allegation by the chairman of Ughelli North Local Government Council chairman that, the community has flouted his order and asked traders to trade on roadside at the Otovwodo market in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.
The Ughelli North local government council chairman, Olorogun Jaro Egbo, had in an interview said, “We gave them notice that we will not allow street trading, and we gave them the notice for the past three months but all to no avail.”
The Chairman alleged that any time we give them notice, the community president, one Mr. Ugbarugba will tell them to go ahead, an allegation that was denied by the community president.
Denying the allegations against him and the Otovwodo community, Pastor Ovigue Ugbarugba said, “The allegations of the local government council chairman against Otovwodo and my person is scornfully abusive and defamatory and it is unacceptable.
“If you could recall, before the local government council chairman was elected, my administration set up a nine committees in Otovwodo and one of the committee is to look into the activities of traders trading on the road and walkway and find a lasting solution to it.
“And in one of my address during our meetings, the community commended Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for de-congesting the Otovwodo junction with the construction of the ring road that eased the traffic flow.
“In that same address, we appealed to the council chairman to put a face lift to the Otovwodo market so as to move the traders from the roadside, but he failed to make provisions.
“I want appeal to the government to give a time frame of about three months in finding lasting solutions, as chasing them from trading on the roadside is not the last or permanent solution.
“The community has an expanse of land behind shop fair that can accommodate a lot over 400 traders. That place should be developed in other to move the people there.
“It is annoying when you see these people with their goods by the roadside trading, it is very risky because of vehicles that ply the road.
“Recently while trying to control and direct traders in the market to leave the road, I lost my mobile phone in the process and if the council chairman alleged that I have asked the traders to flout his orders, why would i go and control the traders.
“For the council chairman to come with such allegations, is a cheap blackmail and defamatory on the community, that has benefitted a ring road project from governor Sheriff Oborevwori administration.
“My expectations from the local government chairman is to make provision and have a time line of executing his actions but he failed to make provision for the Otovwodo market traders.
“The leadership of the community are very ready to assist the government in moving the traders to the expanse land provided once the provision is made.
“The council chairman failed to make adequate provisions for the Otovwodo market traders and he should not use that to blackmail the community before the public and government as we will resist that.”
