Rodents and snakes have overtaken no fewer than 5,000 lock up shops as a result of years of abandonment by their respective owners at the Alaba International market situated in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra state.
These shops have been under lock for decades with little or no business activities in the popular multi-million naira market located along new Nnewi/Oba road.
According to reports, majority of the shops owners reportedly locked their shops with the intention of reopening them when the business picked up in the market.
Worried over the pitiable condition of the market, the leadership of the market has warned traders whose shops were locked to make haste to open them to avoid losing their shops over non-compliance.
Caretaker committee chairman/presiding officer, Pastor Samuel Chukwudiafu, threatened to revoke the locked shops if the owners remained adamant on their decision.
He gave them October 31 deadline or be ready to forfeit the shops.
He said, “If you don’t open your shops between now and end of October, by first day of November, you have forfeited your shop to the owners of the market.
“The owners of this market have empowered us to open such locked shops for occupation by interested traders.”
Chukwudiafu further explained that the market was grouped into four sections for administrative efficiency and easy identification, expressing optimism that the market would soon witness business activities.
He also hinted the cost effectiveness of the shops to ensure its affordability for both indigenes and non-indigenes of the area.
His words, “The shop allocation is almost free. You just pay N1000 for registration and N5, 000 for the allocation of a shop to you where you stay for one year.
“It is just free to help the people of Oba and non-indigenes instead of staying at home doing nothing”.
On his part, the Secretary, Mazi Sonny Agubosi said, “You need not lock the shops and stay in your house, after all the allocation of shop is free, just N1000 registration and N5, 000 allocation for a whole year.”
The market’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Chukwuebuka Michael explained that the vision of those who built the market was to assist the people of the area fend for themselves through trading.
“Just stay in the market with just your N6, 000 and within two to three years you make your money,” he noted.