Protesting women shut down Owerri
Thousands of women from Owerri municipal, on Thursday, marched through major streets of the state capital protesting alleged plan to relocate the only traditional market “Ekeukwu Owerre market ” to Egbeada in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state by the state government.
The protesting women, who wore black attires, latter barricaded all the roads leading to Government House and carrying placards bearing numerous inscriptions as well as chanting solidarity songs.
A leader of the protesting group, Mrs. Ifeoma Anuruo, who spoke to Daily Times, hinged their opposition on relocation of the market on the fact that the market is the only ancestral in the municipal therefore it was not fair to relocate to another local government council. She also said that markets were found in major cities in the country.
In another development, artisans at Orji mechanic have also staged a massive protest as government bulldozers moved into the area demolishing their property few hours after Governor Rochas Okorocha held a meeting with the artisans at the Imo International Conference Centre (IICC).
Governor Okorocha at the meeting had told them that their relocation to the new site would commenced on August 1,2016 but they were shocked that before they could returned to their various shops the buldozers have already moved in destroying their investments.
The state government has embarked on demolition buildings fences and other structures in the state capital Orlu road Okigwe road, MCC road, Egbu road as well as Ikenegbu and Mbari streets.Most of the federal institutions including the Federal Medical Centre(FMC);Owerri, Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education (AIFCE) the house of former Interior Minister Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho, High Court among others.
