The Abia State Government wants to convert the market to a non-residential daily market.
Umuchieze Cattle Market Traders have appealed to the Abia State Government to permit them to live and trade in the market, following the government's decision to make the market non-residential.
The Chairperson of the market, Saleh Algare, made the appeal on Tuesday when the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Macdonald Ubah, visited the market in Lokpanta, Umunneochi Local Government Area.
Mr Algare commended the government for making concerted efforts to rid the area of criminals, especially through the demolition of shanties and brothels in the market.
He said that the leadership of the market had taken steps to get the data of every trader to ensure that criminals did not infiltrate the market.
According to Mr Algare, every trader in the market is into legitimate business.
Mr Algare said that the traders in the market understood the relevance of the security of lives and property in a business environment.
He said that they were ready to support the government's efforts in that regard.
"We are pleading with the government to allow us to live close to the Cattle Market.
"We have not less than 50 vigilante groups and by the grace of God we are helping the soldiers with Intel to apprehend criminal elements.
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"And by the grace of God we cannot allow any criminal to be in the market.
"We are open to discussions and any arrangements that will ensure that we reach an amicable agreement with the government," Mr Algare said.
Also, the Leader of the Hausa Community in Abia, Yaro Danladi, said that discussion between the government and traders was still ongoing.
"The traders are willing to resolve any issues amicably," Mr Danladi said.
He said that the traders in the market would never engage in any venture that would sabotage the efforts of the state government towards rebuilding the state.
'False, baseless information'
Responding, the governor's security aide said that his visit to the market was to inform the traders about government's decision to change the market into a non-residential daily market.
He said that the government wanted the market to be a place where the security of lives and property of the traders would be guaranteed.
Mr Ubah, a retired navy commander, reminded the traders that the issue had been discussed in previous meetings with the leadership of the market.
He said that information circulating on social media, claiming that government had ordered traders in the market to leave Abia, was baseless and false.
The governor's aide further said that the government's decision to convert the place to a daily market was in the overall interest of the traders.
He urged them to disregard the rumours about the sacking of the traders from the state, adding that it was the handiwork of mischief makers.
