Ekeoha Traders Send SOS to Governor Alex Otti

Ekeoha Traders Send SOS to Governor Alex Otti
…Demand Immediate Stoppage of On-going Remodelling of the Market

The initial enthusiasm and high hopes that greeted the remodelling of Ekeoha Shopping Centre, Aba to International Standard appear to have given way to frustration and disenchantment due to serious allegations of shoddy workmanship, outrageous price per shop, surreptitious signing of Memorandum of Action (MOA) among others

The feeling that the traders of Ekeoha Shopping Centre, Aba may have lost confidence in the remodelling of the popular textile market in Abia State and beyond was boldly written on their countenance following the postponement of a crucial meeting scheduled to hold on Thursday, June 5, 2025 in the market to address serious issues affecting the remodelling exercise.

As expected, the traders and key stakeholders who had been looking forward to the all-important meeting with the Tripartite Committee in-charge of the remodelling of the market to unbottle their pent-up anger, frustration and disenchantment with the whole arrangement were completely taken aback by the sudden postponement of the meeting.

Addressing the traders, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Trade, Commerce and Industry, Chief Nwaka Inem who is also the chairman of the Tripartite Committee said that the postponement was informed by the receipt of their letter to His Excellency Dr. Alex Chioma Otti (OFR) titled, “The Imperative of Directing An Immediate Stop to Further Work at the Remodelling of Ekeoha Shopping Centre, Aba Until Fundamental Issues Are Resolved”, that day on their way for the meeting and based on that they deemed it wise and appropriate to go through it thoroughly in order to address their concerns comprehensively.

He appreciated the traders for their peaceful conduct and constructive presentation of their concerns as well as their unwavering confidence in the vision and development programmes of Governor Alex Chioma Otti, especially his commitment to creating a clean, safe, modern and enabling environment in all the markets in the state.

Thereafter, he informed them that the meeting would take place at the Office of the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, PhD, Government House, Umuahia on Monday, June 16, 2025 at 11:00 am.

The traders who had abandoned their business and other serious engagements that day because of the meeting were disappointed and unhappy.

Speaking to newsmen on the issues surrounding the remodelling of the market, the traders accused the Tripartite Committee of always cooking up one story or another to avoid meeting with them face-to-face to express their true feelings about the remodelling of the market amid serious allegations of shoddy construction, exorbitant price per shop and secret signing of Memorandum of Action (MOA), which has continued to ruffle feathers in the market.

According to former chairman of Ekeoha Shopping Centre, Aba, Hon. Ikechukwu Charles Valentine Nwafor popularly known as Mayor Okwuruoka, the MOA was surreptitiously signed without informing the traders or giving them the opportunity to see it.

To this end, the tall and outspoken erstwhile chairman of the market (2020-2022), former Secretary of ASMATA and presently the Vice Chairman of Market Traders Association of Nigeria, Abia State said that the traders are annoyed for not being told about the signing of the MOA or carried along and appealed to the Executive Governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti (OFR) to declare it null and void.

He wondered why they should convene a secret meeting and sign a legal instrument that involves them without first of all interfacing with the traders to tell them about the exact situation at hand for them to know what they are signing for on their behalf.

He disclosed that out of the 7-man Committee representing the Ekeoha traders it was only three persons that signed the Memorandum of Action adding that the traders are anxious to know the people that signed for them and what exactly they signed for whether it is their death warrant or something else.

He expressed utter disappointment with the present situation they find themselves in Ekeoha Shopping Centre, Aba describing it as very traumatic and dangerous to the traders.

He regretted that the reverse is now the case concerning the remodelling of the market, which they accepted based on the trust they have in His Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti (OFR) that he is going to be replicate his good works in the state at Ekeoha Shopping Centre, Aba.

He said that they told them at first that the demolition would be in six phases and they marked the areas that would be demolished.

But at the end of the day, they went ahead and demolished areas that were not marked for demolition and they continued before there was a sort of protest by the traders, which made them to stop.

He noted that the so-called construction is absolutely substandard adding that it resembles mushroom or what is called ‘Ulo Okuko’ in Igbo parlance compared with what they had before.

He expressed surprise that over 2, 000 of the displaced traders of the market they promised to find a place where they would stay were abandoned.

He disclosed that some shops are already been sold in advance contrary to what they told them that after remodelling that the traders would be given the right of first refusal.

He expressed fear that over 70% of the traders would lose their shops and called on the listening and traders-friendly Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti (OFR) to stop the on-going construction of shops in the market till fundamental issues are resolved.

In an exclusive chat with newsmen, Chief Barth Azubuike Madubuko (JP) bared his mind on the remodelling of Ekeoha Shopping Centre, Aba among other sundry issues.

The renowned, amiable, ebullient, eloquent, indefatigable and quintessential two-time Executive Chairman of Ekeoha Shopping Centre, Aba, Grand Patron as well as the Diamond Father of the market appealed to the Executive Governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti (OFR) to order an immediate Stoppage of the remodelling of Ekeoha Shopping Centre, Aba and set-up a high-powered panel of inquiry to investigate the activities of the Tripartite Committee including quality of work done so far by the developers. Excerpts.

Sir, let us meet you.
I am Chief Barth Azubuike Madubuko (JP). I hail from Awka-Etiti in Idemili South local government area of Anambra State. I was a two-time Executive Chairman of Ekeoha Shopping Centre, Aba. I served for 8 years and after that I was made the Grand Patron of the market as well as the Diamond Father. The traders also named our Secretariat, which I built during my tenure after me, “Chief Barth Azubuike Madubuko Hall of Fame”. That shows the extent of love and respect the traders have for me.

Why did the traders gather here today?
We were supposed to hold a meeting with the Tripartite Committee in-charge of the remodelling of Ekeoha Shopping Centre, Aba today but surprisingly it was postponed and they invited us to a meeting at Umuahia with the Chief of Staff to the Governor on Monday, June 16, 2025.

Prior to this meeting that was postponed this afternoon, we had written a petition to the Governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti (OFR) requesting him to intervene on the ugly development in Ekeoha Shopping Centre, Aba as a result of the developers failure to adhere to his directives.

It is based on our petition, which they said that His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti has received that we are being invited to a meeting at Umuahia.

That was what prompted the cancellation of the meeting that was earlier scheduled to hold at the market’s Secretariat at 2:00 pm today.

The traders as a whole appear not to be happy with what is happening in the market. What is the problem?  You do not need a prophet to tell you that something is wrong. It is so obvious. You can see their grievances on their faces. A lot of things have gone wrong in the market.

When we embraced the remodelling of Ekeoha Shopping Centre, Aba, we took into consideration the fact that Dr. Alex Otti has a laudable vision for Aba and we noticed what was going on in the city and everybody was happy. So, when we heard from him that Ekeoha was going to be remodeled to international standard, everybody was happy even though some of us felt that it would not work.

Some even went to challenge it in court. But for those of us who have confidence in His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti, we pleaded with them to sheathe their sword since Dr. Alex Otti was involved that things would move on very fine.

A Tripartite Committee comprising the government, the developers and the traders was constituted to map out strategies for the remodelling of Ekeoha Shopping Centre, Aba.

But it is unfortunate that the developers were not doing what we agreed each time in our meetings.

In the meeting we held on April 9, 2025 we discussed about the Memorandum of Action (MOA) and we agreed that all the traders who were displaced from the demolished areas would be taken care of by the developers in terms of payment for the very place where they are temporarily staying until the completion of the shops, when they would be asked to come and take their shops.

We also said that they would be given the right of first refusal but surprisingly, they started selling those shops to outsiders and creating the impression that the cost of the shops would be too high for them to buy.

It is disheartening that those that are supposed to protect the interest of the traders are behind the dubious scheme and they have been busy collecting allocation papers from the displaced traders and telling them that if they know that they cannot buy the new shop, why not surrender their allocation papers and then accept a token from them. And the traders being so frustrated and panicking started selling their allocation papers, some for N1 million and others for N800, 000.00.

And the worst of it is that when it came to a point where we had to discuss the amount to pay for each shop, the developers insisted on N10 million per shop since it is going to be Ariaria standard.

But the traders said no. So, we, the representatives of the traders told them that we have discussed with the traders and since they are insisting that what they are going to build for us is Ariaria standard that the traders have agreed to pay N6 million.

Initially, we started from N4 million. But when we felt that N4 million was not acceptable to them, we said let us go for N6 million. That was where we stopped and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Trade, Commerce and Industry, Chief Nwaka Inem promised us that since the developers are saying N10 million and we are saying N6 million that they have to go and come back and then reach His Excellency Dr. Alex Otti to determine the amount, which we are going to pay and we left.

And since then I have been asking the chairman of Ekeoha Shopping Centre, Aba, Comrade Emeka Okeke to convene a meeting so as to inform the traders how far we have gone in the course of our meetings and he kept on doing the more you look the less you see.

He refused to summon a meeting. And I have to plead with him on several occasions to please summon a meeting, even though I am the Grand Patron of the market because our image is at stake, and that we should not sacrifice our image on the altar of remodelling.

I told him that the developers do not have our interest at heart that they are here to make money that is why they are insisting on N10 million per shop.

What can you say about the work done so far in the market?
From all indications, there is nothing like international standard. Even the ones that were built by JIMBAZ 30 years ago, both the height and entire structure are stronger than what they are building and that is why everybody is crying. We are now like people who are being duped.

Initially, we even thought the white men they presented before us were from the United States of America (USA) when they came and did the foundation laying ceremony and after that day, the white men disappeared and we now saw people who were busy doing local job here. Since then we knew that the people who were contracted to come and do the job are not the correct people we thought would be coming – the people on ground are Rhino Home Properties of Aba, not that of USA they told us.

What do you want the government to do about it?
There should be an immediate Stoppage to the remodelling of the market and a high-powered Panel of Inquiry set up to investigate the activities of the Tripartite Committee. Enough demolition has taken place already and over 2, 000 displaced traders are just hovering around without a place to stay.

One important thing I want to let you know is that a lot of people have died as a result of the demolition that took place last December when we travelled home for Christmas. They marked people’s shops and at the end of the day they started demolishing them. And when some of them came back and saw what had happened in their absence they died of heart-break while so many of the traders are now frustrate.

We appeal to His Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti (OFR) to come to our rescue. He is a listening and traders-friendly Governor. He has the interest of the traders at heart and we all voted for him and we are going to vote for him again even if he runs as an independent candidate. I want to assure you that he would win with the total support of Ekeoha traders.