Market union kicks over security and electricity tariffs collection, laments unsavory activities of council agents
The national union of Shops and Distributive Employees at Ika-Ika Oqua (Marian) market chapter in Calabar, Cross River State has voiced out the injustice perpetrated by agents of the Calabar municipal council.
The union bore their complain through Pastor Asuquo Etim, Chairman and HH Nkuku Effiong Solomon on Wednesday March 28, while fielding questions from newsmen in Calabar in reaction to a case of theft reported by one Elder Egbe who lodged complaint at the State Housing Police Station over the break and entry incident in his wife’s shop in the market resulting in the apprehension of the security men on duty by the police as accomplice in the crime.
They contended that had the council obeyed the terms of settlement in the persistent misunderstanding between the traders at Ika-Ika Oqua market and the Calabar Municipal Council in respect of multiple issues where it was agreed that the management of security and electricity in the market be the responsibility of the union but which the council agent have refused to allow the union to perform resulting in the death of three security men from the initial nine engaged there-by impacting service rendered. In addition, there is over thirteen months of salary arrears still pending.
Aside other challenges, there has been no electricity in the market for almost fifteen months now since the September 28th 2023 fracas which resulted in the beating and injuring union Executive members by thugs hired by the council agent.
They insisted that the union should be allowed to carry-out its statutory responsibility of collecting security and electricity tariffs in the market in order to restore electricity, pay arrears owed security guards as well as increase their number to have the capacity to surveillance the entire market to curtail rampant incidences of burglary.
Additionally, they harped on the refusal of the council agent to withdraw one Mrs. Bassey Agbor aka Mma Ifuo from the market as approved by the chairman due to her unwholesome activities in the market which the union view as interloping is causing friction in the smooth running of activities in the market.
The management of the union also use the opportunity to appeal to the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to consider sending relief materials to actual victims of the numerous fire disasters that has occurred in the market over the years as the previous relief materials sent to the market fire incidents don’t get to the victims as largesse are often corner and diverted to the detriment of the real victims.
Effort by LENS reporter to talk with the council agent Ntufam Emmanuel Mbora who intends to contest the chairmanship position of Calabar Municipal Council after the expiration of the ongoing administration in May proved abortive as at the time of filing this report.
By: Archibong Emmanuel
(Snr. Reporter)
