By Benjamin Msughter, Ernest Cheme & Fidelis Maryqueen Chinaza
Benue State government has directed Petty traders along the old gate of Makurdi Modern market to relocate to the village market to allow free movement along that axis of the market.
This directive which was given by the Benue State Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Investment through the market supervisor, Mrs Priscilla Tser and the market manager, Mr Terhemba Akpelan at the modern market Wednesday, resulted to a peaceful protest.
The Voice gathered that, sellers of various items ranging from garry, tomatoes, fish and others that usually sit on the roadside along the old gate of modern market were not happy with the directive and took to a peaceful protest in the early hours of Wednesday, carrying palm leaves, restricting movement of people and goods in and out of the market. Their action attracted the attention of the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on youth and organisations, Hon. Terver Gbenda who came and calmed the situation.
Speaking, Mrs Josephine Agera, who is the Secretary of garry sellers association in the market said, they were protesting because the market management decided to evict them without showing them where to go. “The administration of Governor Ortom sent us packing before and we left, but when the new government came in, they addressed us that we can stay here. When this new market management came, they started saying we should leave. We thought it was a joke. When we came today, they said we could not sit, that’s why we de protest.” She said
.One of the officials of fish sellers association in the market, Mrs Deborah Adako said, they were asked to go to the Village Market where, according to her, there is no arrangement made for them which made them to protest. “That woman in the office with the manager is saying that we should go to village Market. Me, I sell dry fish. We, tomato and pepper people, and there is no chance at the village Market. We call that man and he said dey no send them mek dem com pursue us. So he asked us to stay, he say we no de go anywhere”
Responding to questions from our reporters, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on youth and organisations, Hon. Terver Gbenda said it was not really a protest but a slight misunderstanding due to market arrangements, saying it has been resolved. “There is no protest, it is just a misunderstanding due to market arrangements, but it has been resolved due to our intervention, there is no problem”, he said.
When contacted, the market supervisor, Mrs Priscilla Tser and market manager, Mr Terhemba Akpelan confirmed that, it was a misunderstanding on the side of the traders, insisting that, they acted based on the directives given to them by the Commissioner, Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Investment, the ministry that is in charge of the market.
“We take directives from the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Investment. I can remember it was on the 22nd of February 2025 that the Commissioner sent us a text message, reminding us to effect her directives, that the market is choked, so we’re not doing the wrong thing.”
On the resolution that the traders should stay, the manager said, it was a temporary measure to calm the women. “It is a temporary resolution, the SSA to the Governor said that we should not stampid them. Maybe by next week, we will start relocating them to the village Market where other Petty traders are. They will be going batch by batch. Throughout the previous administration, when the market administration was under a consultancy, they were at the village Market. They now prefer to sit on the roadside or hawk inside the market instead of staying at their designated location at the village Market”.
