The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Traders

  • 30 traders killed, 55 injured in Borno

    Not fewer than 28 traders were killed in a deadly suicide attacks at a market in Monguno town in Borno state, hospital source and Civilian JTF have said.

    Monguno is about 130 kilometres away from Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.

    The attack also left about 55 people with various degrees of injuries.

    The suicide bombers were said to have detonated their explosives at the market on Sunday evening when traders were rushing to round up at the market.

    A nurse at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital who does not want to be mentioned told our correspondent on phone that “They brought some dead bodies from Monguno town in military ambulances and other two vehicles to our hospital in the evening of yesterday. They are about 30 corpses and over 60 wounded.”

    He added that apart from the military ambulances, other gulf cars conveyed the dead bodies and were sighted at emergency unit of the UMTH, stressing that they were actually brought from Monguno town.

    Leader of civilians JTF Musa Kukalumi told journalists in Maiduguri that about 28 people were killed and several injured in suicide attack at Monguno market on Sunday.

    ” We got to know yesterday when the dead bodies were brought to Maiduguri. At least 28 people died and more than 55 critically injured by suicide bomber who blew up traders at local market in Monguno town on sunday evening. ” Kukalumi said.

    A source at State Specialists Hospital in Maiduguri admitted that some victims of bomb blast from Monguno were brought to the hospital but were asked to go to the University Teaching Hospital or Umoru Shehu Hospital for lack of space.

    Police Public Relation Officer in the State ASP Victor Isuku told our correspondent on phone that he has not heard anything about the attack.

  • Street traders to face the music

    The Lagos State Government has vowed to enforce the law against street trading to ensure sanity on the roads.

    Chairman of Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Other Special Offences (Enforcement Unit) Olubukola Abe, a Superintendent of Police, told reporters in Alausa, Ikeja on Saturday.

    He said the measure would reduce traffic congestion caused by street trading.

    According to him, Section 1 of the Street Trading and Illegal Market Prohibition Law 2003, restricts street trading and hawking in the metropolis.

    “Sections 7 and 8 of the same law gives jurisdiction and power to the special court to order the seizure and public auction of items impounded for street trading”, he said.

    Abe said his men were prepared to step up enforcement of the law, urging motorists not to encourage traders by patronising them.

    He pointed out that Section 10 of the law prescribes a N5000 fine or three months imprisonment upon conviction.

    Abe said: “Aside from the far reaching implication of street trading in terms of accidents which in most cases are fatal, street trading also affects the free flow of traffic in the metropolis as well as contradict the environmental sanitation laws by littering our streets with waste generated from the act.

    “We’ve had reports on the activities of persons who pose as beggars, especially in traffic, but their sole aim is to perpetrate evil. We are beaming a search light on this trend and one way to do that is to ensure that we take pre-emptive measures to forestall this development.”

    “There is no way any responsible government will allow street trading to continue after providing stalls in designated market places all over the state”, he said.

  • Okene traders decry low sales

    Okene traders decry low sales

    Traders  at the Variki Market in Okene in Kogi State are not happy. They are experien-cing low patronage.

    They said the market used to be very busy. But the reverse is the case now as their trade can no longer earn them a living.

    The market leader, Oniayi Omeneke, said:  “Though the market is always full, not all of the people are buying; some have only come to window shop. Business is not moving like it used to; traders are not happy at all.”

    Other traders in the  market said their daily sales are below N5000 unlike before when they were making  N20, 000.

    “Some of us come to the market, and at the end of the day, we don’t sell up to N20,000 compared to when business was flourishing,” she said.

    Mrs. Omayoza Haruna sells rice at the market, she said the countries economy is not encouraging her business. I think money is not going round; most of our customers are government workers and are facing financial difficulty,” she said.

    A local government worker, Mr Augustine Kayode, said the poor economic situation is bad that he doesn’t get full salary and sometimes doesn’t get paid at all.

    “After paying my children’s school fees and meeting other immediate needs, I barely have enough money to buy foodstuffs and resort to buying on credit from these traders to pay later. Some traders have stopped selling to some of us because it is posing a lot of threat to their business,” he added.

  • Relocation of Lagos Computer Village divides traders

    Relocation of Lagos Computer Village divides traders

    Traders in the popular Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos, are divided over the plan of the state government to relocate the market to Katangowa, a suburb of the state.

    While the traders, acting under the aegis of Computer and Allied Products Dealers Association of Nigeria (CAPDAN), said the development will free up traffic along the way which incidentally leads to Alausa, the seat of the state government and offer sellers and buyers more room to do business, some of the traders say the relocation will dislocate their business.

    CAPDAN Secretary, Mr. John Oboro, said the rationale behind the relocation is to increase business and build a modern ICT centre that anyone would be able to compare with the likes of Silicon Valley in the United State (U.S).

    Mr. Oboro, who lamented that Nigeria is not into production, said: “We are a buying nation,”adding that the relocation would make a difference in Africa.

    He said; “Our plan for Katangowa is a place you would see factories producing products for Nigerians consumption. We would produce soft and hard wares, computers, phones and all accessories such that we will no longer import ICT products.

    Mr Oboro who made reference to some Nigerian companies, including, Omatek and Zinok that are already into production of computers, said the country has what it takes to manufacture ICT products but space has been the hindrance.

    “The government has been talking about African Content; we are trying to develop a concept that would be African driven, it would be in such a way that we would produce ICT products for our own use and even for exportation, he said, lamenting that the enabling environment for this to happen is non-existent

    “Computer chips, motherboard, and other accessories are not produced here. All the parts produced here are sub-standard. There is no factory in Nigeria that does production. What they do is mere assembling of f knock-down components. But we can have those facilities here if we have a sincere government, ready to drive the will of the progress of ICT.

    “Anywhere in the world today, ICT is the fastest world growing economy; there is no dispute about that, even more productive than oil. Today we see new dimensions of systems, there is an evolution in the ICT, and government has to sit up,” he added.

    He urged Governor Akinwumi Ambode to revisit the issue with a view to giving the market ‘a human face,’ saying the project would not only create jobs within but also extend to the West African sub-region. He said this will make the country to become ICT hub for the sub-region.

    But a dealer in phones, Christian Chukwu, disagrees with Oboro on the benefits of relocating the market.

    He said: “I don’t support the idea because a lot of people have invested in Otigba Market, some have bought plazas, and some have paid hundreds of millions of naira to buy shops, so for you to say you want to move them is destroying their plans,

    “Lagos Computer Village is an opportunity for the state government to have an edge in the ICT world, moving to Katangowa, a land between Lagos and Ogun would hinder Lagos State from having that edge in the ICT world.”

    Another phone dealer who identified himself simply as Obina, agreed no less with Chukwu. He said the government has no justification to relocate the market, stressing that buyers are closer to Otigba Market and considering the traffic, distance and stress of traveling to Katangowa, especially with bad roads.

    According to him Katangoa is not as spacious as Otingba Market in terms of the landscape: “It is not as big as this place, not even as broad as here, it is a narrow way and i don’t think it can accommodate what we have here except the government wants to spend all their allocation on that space, which means it will have to buy other portion of land and start building complexes. The movement will be negative, because the harm it will cost us is more than the benefit we will get from it.”

     

  • Hoodlums threaten our market, say traders

    Hoodlums threaten our market, say traders

    Odiolowo/Ojuwoye Market is one of the numerous markets situated in Mushin Local Government Area in Lagos. The market is always filled with people trooping in and out to buy goods in bulk to resell or to buy in bits for consumption.  The market which opens as early as 7am and runs till evening witness the influx of people buying and selling different items.

    But with these busy activities going on in the market, the traders are faced with a major problem that has become a nightmare to them.This is the issue of the hoodlums popularly called area boys, they  trouble not only the traders but also the shoppers.

    Speaking with the Iyaloja of the market, Alhaja Mufuliat Abimbola Adebumi,who  was very bitter about the issue,she said: “One of the major problems we have in this market is the issue of the area boys that are troubling the marketers by extorting money from them on a daily basis and when they are not ready to pay, they get harassed. It is a big problem for us here”.

    A seller in the market, Mrs Sikirat Abodunrin, also complained about the activities of area boys in the market. She said it is becoming alarming and a great cause for concern to all.

    “We are always troubled by these area boys all the time as they are always taking money from us and if we don’t want to pay, they won’t allow us to sell and make our business miserable for us leaving us with any choice than to pay. They say they are collecting tax for the government but it is too much. The minimum amount they collect from us is N500 and they even tax us as high as N2,000 and above. This is too much because some of us don’t even make as much as that as gain in one week”.

    For Mr. Kelechi Martins who sells different items, it is high time Governor Akinwumi Ambode came to their rescue.  He said:  “It is not funny at all because on a daily basis, they come and take money from us. Sometimes, some of us end up paying twice to different groups because they claim not to be working together and we have to pay them if we don’t want any trouble”.

    Further speaking, some other traders at the market made instances that during festive seasons, it is always worse because the ‘tax’ tends to increase beyond imagination and some of the traders might even get beaten.

    As regards finding solution, the Iyaloja appealed to the state government and its agencies to come to their rescue as it is battle that cannot be won alone. Her words: “We have written a lot of petitions and we are still writing to the government agencies both at local and state level to help stop the activities of the area boys. We did that during the administration of former Governor Babatunde Fashola and we are still doing that. We are hoping that something will be done by Governor Ambode to put an end to this problem because it has become a threat to the traders and a major setback to trading activities in the market. Even some customers who have fallen prey to these boys are scared. This  means people who would have come to patronise us would rather go to other markets.”

  • Hoodlums threaten our market, say traders

    Odiolowo/Ojuwoye Market is one of the numerous markets situated in Mushin Local Government Area in Lagos. The market is always filled with people trooping in and out to buy goods in bulk to resell or to buy in bits for consumption.  The market which opens as early as 7am and runs till evening witness the influx of people buying and selling different items.

    But with these busy activities going on in the market, the traders are faced with a major problem that has become a nightmare to them.This is the issue of the hoodlums popularly called area boys, they  trouble not only the traders but also the shoppers.

    Speaking with the Iyaloja of the market, Alhaja Mufuliat Abimbola Adebumi,who  was very bitter about the issue,she said: “One of the major problems we have in this market is the issue of the area boys that are troubling the marketers by extorting money from them on a daily basis and when they are not ready to pay, they get harassed. It is a big problem for us here”.

    A seller in the market, Mrs Sikirat Abodunrin, also complained about the activities of area boys in the market. She said it is becoming alarming and a great cause for concern to all.

    “We are always troubled by these area boys all the time as they are always taking money from us and if we don’t want to pay, they won’t allow us to sell and make our business miserable for us leaving us with any choice than to pay. They say they are collecting tax for the government but it is too much. The minimum amount they collect from us is N500 and they even tax us as high as N2,000 and above. This is too much because some of us don’t even make as much as that as gain in one week”.

    For Mr. Kelechi Martins who sells different items, it is high time Governor Akinwumi Ambode came to their rescue.  He said:  “It is not funny at all because on a daily basis, they come and take money from us. Sometimes, some of us end up paying twice to different groups because they claim not to be working together and we have to pay them if we don’t want any trouble”.

    Further speaking, some other traders at the market made instances that during festive seasons, it is always worse because the ‘tax’ tends to increase beyond imagination and some of the traders might even get beaten.

    As regards finding solution, the Iyaloja appealed to the state government and its agencies to come to their rescue as it is battle that cannot be won alone. Her words: “We have written a lot of petitions and we are still writing to the government agencies both at local and state level to help stop the activities of the area boys. We did that during the administration of former Governor Babatunde Fashola and we are still doing that. We are hoping that something will be done by Governor Ambode to put an end to this problem because it has become a threat to the traders and a major setback to trading activities in the market. Even some customers who have fallen prey to these boys are scared. This  means people who would have come to patronise us would rather go to other markets.”

  • Alaba traders endorse Skye Bank’s millionaire promo

    Alaba traders endorse Skye Bank’s millionaire promo

    The on-going ‘Reach for the Skye millionaire promo’ of Skye Bank has been endorsed by traders at the Alaba International Market, Lagos where the bank held an open air draw for the next set of winners.

    Speaking on the occasion, Head, Retail Banking Group, Skye Bank Plc, Mrs. Nkolika Okoli,  said the bank would continue to encourage the adoption of the savings culture by members of the public.

    The choice of Alaba International Market was strategic as the traders who are also a target group of the bank, trooped out enthusiastically to witness the draw.

    “The reward scheme is, indeed, a win-win for both the bank and its esteemed customers as it seeks to reward the customers while at the same time grow its customer base. During the one year promo period, a total of N60 million would be won by the customers. During the monthly draws, three customers would will N1 million each, while four others would smile home with N250,000 each. Another 10 will each win N100,000. By implication, N5 million would be won each month,” she said.

    Okoli explained that qualification for participation in the monthly draw is for a customer to have at least a minimum opening balance of N2,000 with the bank within that month. Each additional N2,000 doubles a customer’s chance of winning any of the prizes.

    At the Alaba promo draw, a civil servant with the Lagos State government, Kazeem Adewale, and two others won N1 million each in the August draw of Skye Bank’s ‘Reach for the Skye Millionaire promo’.

    The other winners, Uche Onuegbu, an Aba based businessman; and Adewale Abiodun Adeyemo of Offa, Kwara State, also became N1 million richer after the event. Four other customers went home with N250,000 each. The lucky customers are Mrs. Aina Fabode of Jos branch; Kalu Okeke Ogbonnaya of Aba branch; Lawal Basheer; and Gazal Fatimat.

    Those who won the N100,000 prize money are Maiyegun Bunmi, Nnodu Onyinye Somadina, Alebiosu Falilat Oluwakemi and Alaba Ogini Olawale. Others are Wabi Mohammed Bakari, Aina Oluwafemi Abiodun, Friday Adodo, Igbinediaon Augustine, Anyawata Catherine, and Oladosu Kemi Dada.

    The electronic draw conducted in the presence of officials of the National Lottery Commission also produced 10 lucky individuals who won N100,000 each, bring the total prize money to N5 million.

    According to Okoli, a customer would qualify for the draw after opening a Skye Save Plus account with a minimum of N2000, while each additional N2000 increases the customer’s chance to win the N1 million prize. Okoli said the draws would hold every month, with a total of  N60 million up for grabs during the 12 month duration of the reward promo.

    She therefore enjoined the members of the public to open a Skye Save Plus account with bank with a minimum balance of N2000 in order to benefit from the ongoing promotion. The representative of the National Lottery Commission, described the electronic draw conducted as open, transparent and clear, saying it conformed to the commission’s requirements of a credible draw.

    She urged members of the public to take advantage of the bank’s promotion to transform their businesses by opening accounts with it so as to be able to take part in future draws. The winners expressed joy at their good fortunes and promised to continue to make Skye Bank their number one bank because of its transparent operations, processes and efficient customer service.

  • Traders to Abia Govt: save us from flood

    Traders to Abia Govt: save us from flood

    Traders of Ariaria International market, Aba Abia State have pleaded with the government to save them from flood threatening to sack them from their shops.

    The traders lamented that they were gradually losing their customers to their contemporaries in other parts of the commercial city as their shops have been flood and inaccessible since the rains set in.

    Some of them who spoke to our correspondent, expressed fears that if the situation was not urgently addressed they would risk losing their wares to the water anytime it rains heavily.

    “Remember that there was a time when our neighbours selling drugs lost over N2billion to flood in this area. We weren’t spared either if not that the drinks and fruit juice that we sell can be washed and dried up. But some people that sell travelling bags also had a share of the flood impact.

    “The thing is that since then, some of us now rent or bought out rightly some of the lockup shops upstairs which we use as our parking store and use this place that we are now as our display shop.

    “You have seen it for yourself. How many persons did you see coming into this flood to buy or even to price for anything? Thank God you were here when someone called me to bring something for him at Enyimba. That is how we now sell things here; customers will call you on phone and you will go and deliver the customer’s order wherever he or she asked you to deliver the goods.

    “Thank God that you are here. It is not a rumour. We can only move in and out of our shops with rain boot. The water initially was flushing into that former portion of land initially occupied by fire service not until a structure was erected on the land and since then, it has been from bad to worse situation.

    “Recall that the former governor Chief T. A Orji repaired the Ukwu Mango area which did not also last long before it failed as a result of the inability of water coming from the uppermost part of the market to see where it would flush into.

    “We want the state governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu to come to our aid. We are really suffering and don’t know what else to do. He has started doing roads in Aba. We want him to come to our aid in order to help us come out of this ugly situation that we have found ourselves”, Mr. Joseph, a trader in the A Line pleaded.

    Our correspondent who was at the area, reports that transport fare from Ariaria Police Station to Ariaria Junction which usually cost N50 now costs N100 because of the deplorable road and the effect of flood within the A Line-Ukwu Mango area.

    Governor Ikpeazu recently awarded the contract for the construction and rehabilitation of about seven roads in the commercial cit, promising more dividend of democracys.

    He also said that changing the face Enyimba City is a priority of his administration.

  • FXTM enlightens forex traders on investment conference

    FXTM enlightens forex traders on investment conference

    International broker ForexTime (FXTM) is educating Nigerian traders on its forthcoming online forex trading and investment conference.

    The conference, holding today and tomorrow as well as on 19th to 20th August, 2015 will feature speakers including: Abiola Akinyele, Country Director at FXTM Nigeria, and the highly respected forex expert, Professor Andreas Thalassinos.

    Thalassinos will provide technical analysis training, as well as an extensive workshop for participants.

    The conference is expected to attract over 1000 attendees, and comes on the heels of FXTM’s series of educational events which attracted 500 attendees in June.

    “Attendees can take part in sessions on the following topics: calculating profit levels, developing effective trading and risk management strategies, and identifying high probability entry and exit points,” the company said in a statement.

    Akinyele said: “We are dedicated to making trading understandable to anyone who is looking for new investment opportunities in the evolving global marketplace. Our latest conference is expected to be the biggest forex conference of its kind in Nigeria, and will equip traders with all the necessary skills and strategies to make well-informed trades in the currency and commodity markets.”

    Thalassinos said: “It is an honour to offer my expertise to FXTM’s clients in Nigeria. FXTM’s commitment to bringing top quality forex training to Nigeria has already seen the company hold a number of very successful educational events here this year. The high turnout expected for the conference in August demonstrates the real enthusiasm which local traders have to educate themselves on the currency markets and trading strategies.”

  • Otti consoles traders over shooting

    The Abia State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the April general elections, Dr. Alex Otti has soothed the nerves of traders at Ariaria International Market, Aba over a shooting incident, which claimed one life and left some others wounded.

    Men of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) were blamed for the shooting.

    The anti-narcotics agency has explained that its men were tracking a drug offender believed to be holing up at the market, adding that the traders came after them, prompting the officers to shoot into the air to scare the traders away.

    The traders sniffed at that explanation, asking how their 23-year-old colleague Mr Onyinyechi Awuzie was shot and killed, and some others wounded, if indeed the NDLEA men were shooting into the air.

    Otti also condoled with the family of the Awuzie.

    Meanwhile, the remains of the apprentice trader have been buried in his hometown, Umuaka, Orlu in Imo State.

    In a condolence message presented at Onyinyechi’s funeral service by a delegation from Abia, Otti described the incident that led to the young man’s death as tragic and unfortunate.

    Otti said that no life was worth losing in the manner Onyinyechi was killed,  adding that his death was a painful reminder of the sufferings traders in the commercial city go through on a daily basis to eke a living and support their families.

    He regretted that as the only son of his parents, Onyinyechi’s death had left a vacuum that would be difficult to fill in his family and the entire Umuaka community.

    The APGA governorship candidate said that Abia and Imo have lost a budding trader, who had the prospect of contributing to the socio-economic development of the two sister-states and Nigeria in general.

    On behalf of his family, members and supporters of APGA in Abia state, Otti commiserated with the bereaved family and urged them not to mourn endlessly as people without hope.

    He further urged them to repose their trust in God for divine consolation, while praying that Abia would never experience such a tragic incident again.

    Onyinyechi’s father, Mr Obiwuru Awuzie, accompanied by his wife and other members of the family, expressed their gratitude to Otti for identifying with them at their period of grief.

    Chibuike Asiegbu, who spoke on behalf of the Ariaria Books and Stationary Sub-Union, said that it was consoling that Otti could remember to commiserate with them as they buried one of their own.

    Speaking in the same vein, Onyinyechi’s master, Mr Ethel Ugha, said that Otti’s love, concern and solidarity with him and the Ariaria traders would never be forgotten.