Imo bans street trading, sets up panel to investigate over 60 monarchs

WORRIED by the sorry state of sanitation in Owerri, Imo State capital and other parts of the state, the Imo State Government has given street traders less than one week to relocate to the approved places for them to trade.

According to a statement at the weekend in Owerri, signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, the governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, placed the order after a meeting with street traders, bus drivers, artisans, furniture makers among others, regretting that their activities were allegedly defacing the state, thereby not attracting investors.

He was worried that bus drivers and street traders had resisted moving to the approved places for them, regretting that shops allotted to the traders “free of charge” had been empty for a long time.

Also, the State Council of Traditional Rulers has instituted a panel chaired by Eze Chidume Okoro and Eze S. Igwilo, as Secretary, to investigate the activities of over 60 monarchs in the various autonomous communities in the state.

In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary of the Chairman of the Council, Mr. Gift Nwokoro, the affected monarchs, who were largely allegedly faulted to have played roles in the reception of the erstwhile President Goodluck Jonathan, were asked by the Chairman of the council, Eze Samuel Ohiri, to face the panel.

The council had suspended four monarchs, Eze Emmanuel Njemanze (Owerri); Eze Desmond Oguguo (Ezinihitte Mbaise); Eze Sunday C. Okoro (Emii); and Eze Edwin Njoku (Umuinyi).