The first Port Harcourt Discount Market situated beside Liberation Stadium, Elekahia, Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, has been declared open.
Declaring the market open, Dame Mrs. Judith Amaechi, the wife of the Rivers State governor, described the market as historical and remarkable.
Dame Amaechi who disclosed that the slogan of the market was “LET THE POOR MAN CHOP CHRISTMAS,” noted that the market is a non-profitable market and affordable for the poor, adding that the market is cheaper than the conventional market.
She stressed that the Rivers State government opened the market to enable its citizens to purchase goods at a cheaper rate in this Christmas period and commended the state government for their initiative.
She enjoined the people at the grassroots level and people from the neighbouirng states to showcase their products and goods in the market and lauded the Rivers State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Barrister Chuma Chinye for his vision as well as the entire staff of the Ministry for their contribution in the opening ceremony of the market.
Earlier in his speech, Barrister Chuma Chinye, who described the market opening ceremony as a day of joy, acknowledged the state governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and his wife Dame Mrs. Judith Amaechi for their support in the opening of the market and commended the entire staff of the ministry of commerce and industry for their various contributions in ensuring that the market was declared open.
In a chat with journalists while walking round the market, Barrister Chinye noted that his aim of going round the market was to ensure that the prices of goods were cheaper than the market outside the first Port Harcourt discount market and to ensure that all the shops in the market sell a discount of ten percent to be affordable to every one.
He added that he has set up a monitoring committee that would ensure that all shop owners maintain their order.
In his vote of thanks, Mrs. Awoye Bobmanuel, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry who commended the state governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi for his initiative in opening the market and his wife for declaring the market open as well as the commissioner of commerce and industry, the staff for their contributions, noted that the market would be a continuous process which would sustain projects in the state.
Some of the buyers who spoke with the journalists such as Mr. Chinedu and Mrs. Wokoma among others, noted that the prices of goods in the first Port Harcourt discount market was the same price with the outside markets except rice which is cheaper and appealed for their reduction of prices. #
By Emeka Jilly Ejiowhor
