By Elohor Foghola
WARRI/Nigeria: The Chairman of the Warri South Local Government Council, Dr Michael Tidi, said the council has resolved all lingering crises between traders of Igbudu Market and the Igbudu Market Management Committee.
Tidi said this on Wednesday after a meeting with the executive members of the Igbudu Market Association, security officers and the management committee of Igbudu Market held at the council’s secretariat, Warri.
He said that as chairman of the council and the number one security officer, he had mandated the Igbudu Market Association to work closely with the management committee and report all activities in the market to the market superintendent who is the representative of the council.
All parties after the meeting that lasted for several hours, agreed to work together for the progress of the market.
Earlier, the traders had held a protest at the council’s secretariat on Wednesday morning over an alleged security crisis in the market.
Addressing the protesters, the Warri South Council Chairman, condemned the action of Igbudu Market traders who prevented staffers of the council access to their offices by blocking the council’s gate during the protest.
He told the traders that the protest was a needless one as the council had a good working relationship with the traders, wondering why they decided to hold the protest without coming to discuss the issue with him.
He said that the essence of the protest was to misrepresent facts, saying that some disgruntled elements in the area wanted to use it to score cheap political points.
“I want to start by condemning your actions. You prevented my staff from entering their offices. Igbudu market is one out of so many markets in the council. The issue you have with the market master of Igbudu market is one out of the so many issues that the council resolves all the time.
“So, if you have, because of your own issue, come here and shut this place down, which is illegal in the first place, how do you expect us to address other people’s issues?
“It’s your right to protest, but don’t lock the gate of any establishment, especially a government institution.
“If I have given you my support from the start, why did you not come to me when you have issues with any of my staff?” Tidi asked the traders.
He, however, assured the traders that all issues concerning the market will be resolved immediately, adding that the final pronouncement on the issues would be made by him after the meeting with the representative of the market traders.
