Commissioner for Works, Hon. Victor Giadom has handed over Port Harcourt Town market to the State Executive Committee on the allocation of the Market stores.
Speaking during the hand-over ceremony in Port Harcourt recently, the Commissioner disclosed that government appointed an Exco Committee on the allocation of the stores to fast-track the exercise. He commended the State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and the contractor, O.K. Isokariari Limited for ensuring the speedy completion of the market.
Hon. Giadom hinted that the market contains 1,064 lock-up shops and open stores, one fire service station, one generator house, 64 toilets, four banking houses, one waste dump, one transformer, water facility and parking lots. He added that the waste dump is provided to ensure good sanitary condition of the market. The Commissioner therefore urged the Chairman of the Exco Committee on the market allocation to swiftly hand over the stores to the traders in line with Government’s gesture.
In his speech, the Chairman of the Exco Committee who is also the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sampson Parker said his Committee has already started the allocation exercise to alleviate the suffering of the traders. Dr. Parker explained that all the traders already know their stores which are identifiable by their numbers.
He disclosed that the only part remaining to be allocated is the stores that the traders have not paid for and advised traders to pay up in order to move in and continue their businesses. Also speaking the contractor, Messrs O.K. Isokariari Limited thanked the State Government for awarding them the contract and funding it. In his remarks, the Secretary of the Traders Union, Mr. Emmanuel Akaeze expressed the willingness of the traders to move into their stores immediately and thanked Rivers State Government for converting the market to a modern edifice. Mr. Akaeze expressed satisfaction with the allocation exercise, stating “the allocation is fair and transparent”. He however, appealed to the government to reduce the price of the stores, assuring that the traders would ensure good sanitary condition of the market when business commences.
