Traders in Nnewi in Anambra State have decided to help themselves in the rehabilitation of their road facilities when the state government supports seems far-fetched.
The blight cast on Nkwo-Nnewi traders by poor infrastructure and facilities were the remote reasons traders in the market resolved to embark on self-help projects like road construction, alternative electricity supply, security, waste disposals, to mention a few while they awaited government response to infrastructural decay in the market.
The traders have commenced the purchase of cements and other materials to carry out palliatives on internal roads to at least create access into the market.
Apart from palliatives on roads, traders at Nkwo-Nnewi market have also pulled resources together to procure a high-level power generating plant to provide electricity in the market to address perennial power outage, eliminate noise pollution as well as enhance ease of doing business in the automobile market.
Inspite of these self-help projects, traders at Nkwo-Nnewi market earnestly looked forward to the day Anambra State Government would come to their aid and ameliorate the situation.
However the melancholic state of the market prompted the lawmaker representing Nnewi-North state constituency in the 7th legislature, Hon. Nonso Smart Okafor to move a motion on the floor of the state assembly for the upgrade of Nkwo-Nnewi market to international standards.
He said, ” This is a motion calling on the Governor of Anambra State His Excellency Chief Willie Obiano to upgrade Nkwo-Nnewi market to an international market standard.”
“Aware that Nkwo-Nnewi is a very big and strategic market in Anambra state generating huge revenue to traders and government with even greater potentials to generate more revenue if well developed.”
“Worried that the present state of infrastructural decay of the market is posing serious drawback to the realisation of the full potentials of the market thereby reducing the capacity of the operators to grow more wealth which will in turn have more negative effects on the Internally Generated Revenue realisable from the market.”
“Disturbed that the present self-help trend adopted in the market where operators try to develop themselves will leave much to be desired in the long run since it appeared not to follow any particular prototype and plan.”
“Be it therefore resolved by this Honourable House that the Anambra State House of Assembly calls on the Governor of Anambra state His Excellency Chief Willie Obiano to upgrade the Nkwo-Nnewi market to international market standard to enhance the capacity of the market to produce more revenue to traders and government.”
The lawmaker further gave more elucidation on why the plight of Nkwo-Nnewi traders should be ameliorated without further prevarication.
Okafor said, “Nkwo-Nnewi is a market that houses about 9 different markets. That is where you have the motor spare parts, machine spare parts, electrical parts and other markets inside Nkwo-Nnewi market.”
