Barely two months affect all the markets in Rivers state were
shutdown by Rivers state government as a measure to contain the spread
of COVID-19 traders in the state have appealed to Rivers state governor,
Nyesom Wike to open all the markets in the state as to enable them
take care of their families and other responsibilities.
The
Leader of Rivers State Chapter of Traders Association of Nigeria, Mrs
Beatrice who spoke in Port Harcourt at the weekend said that since the
markets were shut down her members are finding it very difficult to take
care of their families and other financial challenges.
She
said that many of their members are finding it very difficult to feed
as well as taking care of their family challenges saying that the market
is their only source of livelyhood.
She
said that their members had gathered to appeal to the state government
on their plight saying that the prolonged closure of the market is
having a very big toll on them.
“That is why
you saw us . We came together to make an appeal to his Excellency that
he should consider the market traders that we don’t have any source than
the market , we don’t collect salary from anywhere and the market is
the only source of livelyhood and we are appealing to him that he should
look into the matter and help us to open the market,” she said.
The
Rivers State Chapter Chairman of the National Butchers Union of Nigeria
, Musa Baba Almed said that the union has set up a taskforce that will
ensure that all preventive measures are observed in various markets in
the state if the state government re-open the markets .
“We
have set up a taskforce that will ensure full compliance of all the
health protocols if the markets are open . Each of the section of the
market will have it’s taskforce . We will make sure that each customer
that is coming will use water to wash hand , apply sanitizers and use
nose mask before entering the market. We have directed all the leaders
of the markets to keep their men at the entrance gate of the markets as
to check body temperature with themometers,” he said.
Governor Wike had in April shutdown all the markets in the state as a measure to check the spread of COVID-19.
Some
of the major markets affected in Port Harcourt were the Mile one , Oil
Mil, Mile 3, Creek road , Rumuokoro , Flyover, Sangana and Oroworukwu
markets while all the markets in the 23 Local Government Areas of the
state were also affected.
