By Onyekachi Eze
Traders at the Old Stadium Lane Plaza, Owerri, have extended an unalloyed gratitude to the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma for graciously returning over forty-four lock-up shops to the original owners.
There was wild jubilation at the Stadium Lane of Tetlow Road, Owerri, on Tuesday, February 15, 2022, as the traders celebrated the return of their lockup shops to the original owners, by the Governor Hope Uzodimma led administration.
The elated marketers showered accolades on the Governor for granting their long aged prayers of returning their shops to them, which were illegally seized and re-allocated to new persons in the past.
Trumpeta Newspaper scooped that the struggle commenced in 2017, when the old shops were knocked down and replaced with the present.
Rather than still allocating the shops to the original owners, moves were made to shortchange them, and new occupants handed over the keys to the shops.
This development, this Newspaper learnt, caused uproar and disaffection among the traders and some individuals suspected to be Government officials.
This led to the agitation by the displaced shop owners, who sought for Government intervention.
Having gone through the relevant documents backing their claims, the Governor mandated that the shops be returned to the occupants.
Addressing newsmen, the Chairman of the Old stadium lane Forum, Mr. Okonkwo Sopuruchi gave God the Glory for making the fight come to an end.
On a special note, he sent a heartfelt gratitude to Governor Hope Uzodimma for listening to the plight of the old stadium lane traders.
Mr Okonkwo disclosed that the struggle towards reclaiming the shops started since 2017 when over 125 of the shop owners were displaced.
According to him, all effort to reclaim what rightly belonged to them proved abortive, until the present Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Hon. Simon Ebegbulem, and the ISAMATA President, Hon Emmanuel Ezeanochie at the instance of the Governor interfaced with them.
The Chairman narrated that the Commerce and Industry Commissioner didn’t only show interest in upholding justice and living up to the Recovery of the 3R Government, but said he went indepth on investigating the source of the quirgmire.
The Journalists were further informed that, after the rigorous processes ascertaining the truth by the Commissioner, Uzodimma directed that those shops be immediately returned to the owners.
Mr Okonkwo revealed that at the time their shops were knocked down, the traders collectively paid a whooping sum of thirty-three million naira, only (#33,000,000) to the State Government’s Treasury Single Account, TSA.
“As a listening Governor who believes in justice and fairness, Governor Hope Uzodimma, Onwa Imo, few days ago ordered that our shops be returned after ascertaining the true story. I can’t thank our dear Governor enough, for this rare gesture”, Okonkwo said.
However, he pleaded that while they have over 125 members in the forum, and 44 lockup shops returned to them with 66 members sharing the 44, they would be more grateful if Government can construct another plaza at the same lane, inorder to adequately accommodate the remaining members.
He gave the ISAMATA President, Hon. Ezeanochie Emmanuel a thumbs up for being there for them throughout the trial period. Okonkwo added that as the representative of all the traders in Imo State, Hon Ezeanochie never relented.
Commenting, the Secretary of the old stadium lane shop owners forum, Mr. Victor Osuji revealed that for over 3 years, they have lost about three members.
Victor added that while some are also bedridden, others lost their source of income, but thanked God for acting through Governor Uzodimma and his present aides for acting swiftly to their plea.
A member of the lane, who spoke on behalf of the women, Mrs. Ononugbo Amaechi described their happiness as unquenchable, especially from a fight that had lasted for years.
She said, as people with the original documents of the shops, their joy knows no bounds, over the return of their shops.
Mrs Ononugbo remarked that their monies had been stocked for the past three years even when they met all the conditions. Hence, lauded the incumbent administration for dispensing justice.
She enthused, “We are so happy. We cannot hide our joy. We thank the Governor for taking this action towards returning the shops to us, who are the original owners. Ordinarily, we won’t have done it on our own, but thank God that today, our prayers are answered. We all can now have peace of mind”.
