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Ikoku Spare Parts Dealers Count Losses As Shutdown Lasts

…I’ve Lost Over N10m – Dealer

Spare parts dealers at Ikoku Spare Parts Market are counting their losses since the market was shut down by government directive.

Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, announced in a statewide broadcast on Thursday March 26 that all markets in the state should shut down with effect from Saturday March 28 to avoid the spread of coronavirus.

Speaking in an interview, traders at the market complained bitterly about the effect of the shutdown on their business.

One of the traders, Collins Okafor, said that he had lost over N10million since the government gave the directive that the market be shut down.

Okafor said: “I’ve lost millions of naira. I’ve lost more than N10 million. Even my goods that I bought are out there because they can’t enter Port-Harcourt. I had goods that were coming on the day they shut down and they were to be returned”.

He said customers were calling him to supply goods but he couldn’t because of situation in the state.

He appealed to the government to sensitize the people on what to do and allow them reopen their business.

“The only thing I can say to government to do is that even though they shut down from now to the next three months that will not bring the solution. What will bring the solution (is) to sensitize people (and) tell them what to do (and) let the business open again”, he said.

Also speaking, another spare parts dealer, Stephen Okeke, said that the shutdown was affecting traders “seriously” and appealed to the government to provide palliative measures.

He said although the step taken by the government was to protect life, it should provide assistance for the people who are out of business.

Okeke said: “We are not government workers. Government workers believe that at the end of the month, they can buy whatever they need to buy based on (their) salary. Our (own) salary is every day when we come to the market. I know (that) the government is fighting for our safety but when you ask people to sit at home you (should) provide a means to assist them. Maybe at the end of the month, you (should) pay some amount of money for them to support their families”.

Okeke said he had lost thousands of naira since the shutdown saying he could get hundred thousand naira from the market per week.

He appealed to the government to reopen the market.

Another spare parts dealer, Ugochukwu Amaechi, who said that he deals in mechanical and technical tools, complained that the shutdown affected their finances.

Amaechi said the government should relax the preventive measure taken against coronavirus and allow the traders at the market to operate with condition.

He said: “Though it’s a preventive measure, they should at least lift it a bit giving us criteria on number of persons that could be at a point. If they give that kind of directive it will help”.

He said most people had run out of cash, saying the situation affects everyon

He said he had lost over five hundred thousand naira in the shutdown adding that those owing them were also not willing to pay because of the situation.

“The situation has brought more hardship on the masses and (the) government is not doing anything to assist if I’m to say. Government should reopen the market and give us time to operate”, he remarked.

A spare parts dealer, Goddey Okwnwa, said that while the step taken by the government was commendable, it was still having effect on those who do business disclosing that he had lost thousands of naira.

Also speaking, Sir Peter Nwaiwu, pointed out that “the shutdown is of good intention but only the enforcers of the shutdown are the people creating problem”.

He said those who carry out the directive of the government to shut down markets should exclude the Ikoku Spare Parts Market saying that it was not an open market with large number of people.

He also said the government should carry out more sensitization in local languages for people to observe social distancing.

In view of the current situation, Chairman of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria in Rivers and Bayelsa States, Senator Adawari Pepple, asked the government to support businesses in this trying time.

Senator Pepple speaking in an interview said that the Rivers State government should give financial support to businesses as they try to survive in the lockdown from coronavirus.

The business leader said: “It is having a negative impact on the economy… Air travels are suspended. People whose business it is to transport people around are being affected. So, it is impacting negatively on the economy. Government just has to support business because if you don’t do that, there will be total depression”.

He had said that the coronavirus was also having effect on the global economy.

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