The Umuahia main market that was built at
the city centre during the colonial era has
been demolished by the Abia State
Government. In an effort to decongest the city centre, the
state government constructed a new market at
Ubani Ibeku, near Umuahia. Traders were given up to October 19 to
relocate to the new market, although a cross-
section of the traders complained that the
market was not yet ready for business. The old market was formally closed on
October 21, by the market relocation
committee, while its demolition commenced
last Saturday. Chairman of the committee, Chief Ebenezer
Offor, who was seen supervising the
demolition, yesterday, told NAN that “work is
in progress”. Offor expressed happiness that Governor
Theodore Orji had finally “broken the jinx,”
saying that previous administrations
attempted to remove the market from the city
centre without success. “Many prominent Abia indigenes at home and
abroad have been sending me text messages
thanking God and the governor for this great
achievement,” he said. He said the area had been cordoned off by
men of the state vigilance service to avert loss
of lives. The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN recalls that
an unidentified bus driver, who went into the
market on Sunday to pull out an iron rod
during the demolition, lost his life, when the
wall of the market collapsed on him. NAN learnt that the market was built in 1935.
