From Magnus Eze, Enugu
The Enugu State Government has banned people from living or sleeping overnight in any market in the state.
It also declared its resolve to forestall the infiltration of the New Artisan Cattle Market by miscreants flushed out from the Lokpanata Cattle Market in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State by the government.
Chairman of Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA), Chief Uche Anya, announced this at a meeting with the leadership of New Artisan Cattle Market in Enugu.
He explained that the state government was not against genuine business people but would not allow anybody to reside in the markets in the name of doing business.
Anya noted that the government, in restructuring the New Artisan Market, would make the place conducive, provide security and stipulate when it would open and close for business.
He asked the leadership of the cattle market to go discuss with their members and report back to his office what they feel should be done, particularly on opening and closing hours for the market.
“We in the Capital Territory called this meeting, because if you look at what happened at Lokpanta Cattle Market in Abia State, some of the people flushed out there are coming to the New Artisan Market in Enugu. So, our governor has said that we are going to make the place a normal market. We are going to monitor it, put security in place to protect you.
“We are not pushing you, but we would give you security; we don’t want anybody to sleep in the New Artisan Market again. You will tell me when you want it to start; we don’t want anybody who is not part of the market as a cattle seller or your customer to enter there after close of business.
“There is no market in Enugu State where we would like people to sleep in, especially in Enugu Municipality.
Chairman of the market, Alhaji Danladi Abubakar, assured that they were ready to cooperate with the government but asked that their people be carried along at every stage of the restructuring process.
He noted that they were already working closely with security agencies to ensure that criminals did not make the market a safe haven.