…Alleges LG Chairman Using Market To Blackmail Community Before Government and public
…Refutes Allegations Of Inducing Traders To Trade On Roadside
The president general of Otovwodo-Ughelli community, Pastor Solomon Ovigue Ugbarugba, has cautioned politicians not to use incident of traders at walkway and roadside in the market to blackmail the community before the state government.
Pastor Solomon Ovigue Ugbarugba, gave this caution while reacting to an allegation by the chairman of Ughelli North Local Government Council that, the community has flouted his orders and encouraged 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 trading on the roadside, walkways or street trading, and we gave them the notice for the past three months but all to no avail.”
The Chairman alleges that any time they gave 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 Solomon Ovigue Ugbarugba said;
“The allegations of the local government council chairman against Otovwodo community and my person is defamatory and unacceptable.
“If you could recall, before the local government council chairman was elected, my administration set up Nine committees in Otovwodo and one of the committees 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 addresses during our meetings, the community commended Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for de-congesting the Otovwodo junction with the construction of the ring road that has eased traffic flow drastically.
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 to 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 the market and shop fair that can accommodate a lot over 400 traders. So, 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 for them because of vehicles that ply the road.
“Recently while trying to push 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 chase away the traders if I am the one encouraging them.
“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. I advise that the chairman respect his personality instead using derogatory languages to defame people’s character.
“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 and I do not see how the community comes in here.
“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, but not putting the Otovwodo Community in a bad light before the Delta State Government. As a community, we shall give this a stern resistance by speaking the truth. ” As the President of the community, we are not going to engage in any physical fight with the council chairman. We never intended that, but we shall always resist through our voices especially when someone is trying to put us in rancour with our benefactors.
“Without mincing words, Otovwodo Community remains grateful to the Governor Sheriff Oborevwori M.O.R.E Agenda which our community happens to be the first beneficiaries of a ring road construction that has eased traffic flow around the Otovwodo junction.
“The council chairman has 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 such actions.”
Pastor Ugbarugba however appealed to the government to help construct an access road to the space provided by the community at Okogbe street to link the major road and, to also build a concrete slabs on top of the carnal to open up the market and accommodate all those trading on the road and the walkways.