By PRECIOUS AKUTAMADU

The Rivers State Government has assured the Rumuwoji Mile 1 Market traders of plans to reopen the market in January 2024, five years after it was shut.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the market, located in Port Harcourt city, was gutted by fire in 2016 and rebuilt in 2019 by the Nyesom Wike-led administration.

Gov. Siminalayi Fubara announced the plan on Thursday, when he paid a thank you visit to the traders for their support during the General Elections.

Fubara expressed gratitude to them for contributing to the state’s socio-economic development.

He assured them that his administration, known for its responsiveness, had taken note of their concerns about the allocation of the shops.

The governor gave assurance that the stalls would be equitably allocated to them, with no interference from politicians.

He urged them to continue to pray for his administration in order to enable it to deliver more dividend of democracy to the people.

Earlier, the traders begged the governor to reopen the market for them.

The President of the Reformed Traders Association of Nigeria, Mr Dede Chinedu, said that their businesses had suffered serious setback due to the lack of space for trading in their makeshift location.

Chinedu thanked the governor for his “unprecedented gesture of recognising and supporting traders”.

He lauded his efforts aimed at prioritising their welfare and promised that they would continue to rally behind him in his programmes and projects to make the state better.

A major highlight of the event was the inauguration of the market leadership and unveiling of Christmas package donated to the traders by the State Government, which included bags of rice, umbrellas, aprons, hampers and cash. (NAN)

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