Dozens of women traders from the Eight Miles market, blocked the Calabar highway with a protest against extortion by touts and high taxes by government agents.
The market women lamented that since the Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, has commissioned the Eight Miles Market, they thought trade would be much easier but the reverse has been the case.
According to one of the women, Madam Ikwo Akpan, who said the women in one voice are appealing to the state government to return them to their original site at Eight Miles.
“We are demanding the authorities to allow us to return to our main market which is the Eight Miles market.
“We pay as much as N40,000 for a space in this place, we are yet unable to make sales because of the bad road leading to the market.
“They sent us away from our main market that it was a community land. In 2016, the President’s wife, Mrs. Buhari came here and commissioned this Eight Miles market for us to sell.
“Why are they now sending us away from Eight Miles to a place where there is no access road?”
They also accused the chairman of Calabar Municipality, Effefiong Nta of conniving with one Boy O Boy to frustrate traders.
The women vowed to remain on the road until their demands are met.
Discussion about this post