The Bayelsa State Government has imposed a ban on all ethnic and tribal-based traders’ associations operating in the state’s markets.
The announcement came after a meeting of the Swali Market Conflict Resolution Committee at the Government House in Yenagoa, where the Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, received a report detailing the longstanding crises within the market, primarily driven by tribal rivalries and political infighting.
The Deputy Governor, in a strongly worded statement, emphasized that the government would take decisive action against anyone or group of traders that continues to defy the prohibition order.
“There will be no room for tribal associations in our markets. No Isoko, Urhobo, Igbo, or Ijaw traders’ associations will be allowed to operate,” Ewhrudjakpo declared.
The Commissioner of Police has been instructed to ensure strict enforcement of the ban, with security agencies tasked with monitoring and arresting violators.
The decision was made in light of the report submitted by the Chairman of the Swali Market Conflict Resolution Committee, Chief Boma Spero-Jack, who cited unhealthy politicization of traders’ groups and the ambition of some individuals to control the market’s revenues as key causes of the ongoing unrest.
In his remarks, Ewhrudjakpo also criticized the State Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Investment for its failure to provide effective leadership in resolving the market conflicts.
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“The Ministry’s leadership ineptitude and compromise have fueled this crisis,” he said.
Going forward, the government has announced that market associations will be reorganized. Traders will be grouped based on the goods they sell, not their ethnic affiliations.
A new committee will be formed to define guidelines for leadership positions in the Swali Market Traders Association, ensuring that future leadership is based on merit and the specific needs of the market.
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