The protesters comprising both sexes including some aged people had gathered in front of the yet-to-be allocated newly built market in the Mile axis of Port Harcourt at about 1pm on Monday to begin the action.
The protesters, mostly women, matched from Mile, through the popular UTC junction, then to Azikiwe Road and terminated at the Government House where they presented their grievances, even with placards.
Some of the inscriptions on the placards read, ‘We say no to balloting’, ‘allocate shops to the genuine owners first before others’, and ‘Our dear Governor Fubara come and help us’, among others.
They express dismay that some selfish individuals had lied to the state government that most of the genuine shop owners at the marker had passed on to allocate the shops to their people, saying it is a lie because they are still well and alive.
Speaking to newsmen, the leader of the Rumuwoji Mile one market phase 2 Genuine Owners, Princess Wariso, said they will not relent in the pursuit of their rights.
She stated, “Nobody can intimidate us. We stand for our rights because we are the genuine traders of the Rumuwoji Mile 1 Market. The other time they lied that we were all dead and they wanted to allocate our shops to strangers.
“That was what led to the first protest to tell the Governor that we are alive and we are the ones that went to Court. The Governor saw us and that was why he set up a committee.
“Now the committee has been set, they are now sidelining the real shop owners. I say this because the committee is back from the market but I was not with them. Originally I was supposed to be with them to sign for us to see the number of shops we have.
“Nobody called me, this is my phone. On the day of verification, we were from 8am till past 3pm when I rushed a woman who was suffocating and had a BP issue to the hospital. Nobody attended to us.”
Also speaking, a shop owner, Mr Wariso Soberekon, said they were afraid that the process has ignored their plight and designed to short-change them by denying them the chance to reallocate their shops.
Soberekon further said the names that appeared in the newspaper publications, the basis for the public invitation of claimants, excluded the genuine traders.
He insisted that they were assured that when the allocation was made, the original owners of shops would not be subjected to balloting or made to compete through any qualifying exercise to regain their shops.
Meanwhile, addressing the protesters, the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, urged all original owners of shops at the Mile One (Rumuwoji) Market in Port Harcourt to subject themselves to the ongoing verification exercise for proper capturing and eventual allocation of shops.
Fubara, who was received group through the State Head of Rivers State Civil Service, Dr George Nwaeke, appealed to them not to despair and urged them to go back and work with the Rivers State Government Reconciliation Committee on Lockup Shops at Mile One (Rumuwoji) Market, which had been empowered to address the contending issues.
Governor Fubara stated that the committee will work with the information that they have, which is why every claimant must appear before them for proper verification and their proof of ownership confirmed.
He stated, “We are aware of the problems in Mile One Market. We may not know all the details off-hand, but one thing that I can assure you is that, as you have alluded here also, the Governor has come to ensure that there is peace and that you people have your means of livelihood handed back to you.
“The issue of Mile One Market, honestly speaking, Government is giving it very good attention. This committee is the Rivers State Government Committee. If you suspect any bias, let us know or approach the committee members, and we will address you very well.
“But, what we will not allow is where our State will now be tilted to a place of violent protests. So, what I want to tell you is that, as the committee has started the process, we will continue with that process, fine-tune it wherever we think that, maybe, the process is not very good.”
He emphasised, “So, my assurance to you is that this committee will live up to expectation. Whatever this committee will do, will stand the test of time.
“Honestly speaking, the number of people that might be shop owners there, not the entire 100 per cent of them will get. But be sure that a very large percentage will get it. I can assure you that.”
