Traders at the Abakaliki Regional Market on Thursday told an Abakaliki High Court that they were not in court to challenge the developmental efforts of Ebonyi State Governor, Mr. David Umahi but his alleged unlawful process adopted by state government in issuing the revocation order to owners of stalls and buildings in the market.

Former Commissioner for Special Projects, Mr. Ikechukwu Nwabo, had in a letter dated February 13, and addressed to the chairman of the Building materials Dealers Market of Ebonyi asked the traders to vacate the market before March 25, 2019.

The Abakaliki Regional Market is housing the Abakaliki Building and Almunium Materials markets and located along the Abakaliki/Afikpo road.

The traders, Messrs Chibogu Nwite, Fredrick Odanwu, Dennis Osuachala, Beneth Nwosu and others who are plaintiffs in the matter in suit no. HAB/43/2019, sued the Ebonyi government on behalf of themselves and other concerned traders in the market.

The plaintiffs who are traders at the building materials segment of the regional market are challenging the government’s revocation of Certificates of Occupancy order issued to shop owners in the market.

According to the plaintiffs, the order violated their rights to occupancy of the said parcels or plots of land they are occupying having legally acquired the parcels or plots of land where they built their stalls.

Counsel to the plaintiffs, Mr. Anthony Ani (SAN), told the court while submitting his written address that the plaintiffs were not in court to challenge the developmental efforts of the Ebonyi government.

He said that the petitioners were in court to challenge the process and procedure employed by government and its agents which were aimed to unlawfully ejecting them from their property in the regional market.

He said that the construction and maintenance of markets were the exclusive competence of local government areas.

Ani, who cited relevant sections of the 1999 constitution as amended and other legal authorities therefore urged the court to grant all five reliefs sought for by the plaintiffs as contained in the final written address as the plaintiff’s final request.

He said: “The plaintiffs are not in any material particular opposed to the developmental efforts or goals of the state government led by Umahi or his constituted authorities, the plaintiffs are only insisting that the rule of law be followed.”

Meanwhile, counsel to the government and the State Director, Civil Litigation, Mr. Paul Awada, in his written address urged the court to discountenance the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs and award judgment in favour of state government.

Awada told the court that the regional market falls within the Abakaliki Capital Territory (ACT).

He said that the Abakaliki Local Government Area ceased to have title on the property allegedly leased to the plaintiffs upon the coming into effect of Abakaliki Capital Territory Development Board law.

“My Lord, we urge the court to adopt all the prayers contained in our written address as our final submission and request and I urge my lord to dismiss the plaintiff’s claims and to resolve the matter in favour of the state government,” Awada said.

After listening to the submissions of both counsel, the presiding judge, Justice Vincent Nwancho, adjourned the case to July 15, for judgment.

The suit, which was filed on April 3 against the Ebonyi State Government, is seeking to stop government from forcefully evicting the traders at the building materials market from the market.

The Umahi administration, under the urban renewal programme, is seeking to relocate the regional market to the International Market, Abakaliki, to pave way for government to use the land to build an ultra-modern inter-state Polo Park.

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