Hawkers Permit ‘go’ send us home – Orphan hawker cries

By Chibueze Attama, Enugu.

Hawkers in Mechanic Village Nsukka, have recently woken up to continue their daily business activities but met some restrictions, following the new order by the government of Nsukka council area demanding what they called Hawkers permit.

Speaking with the Chairman, Nsukka Zonal Amalgamated Traders Association, NZATA, Hon. Domnic Ezema, said he was not aware of the order untill he started receiving complaints from the market that hawkers were being chased around to pay token for operating within the market.

According to Hon. Ezema who was recently re-elected as the chairman of the Nsukka apex trade union, NZATA, this new order was a surprise to traders in the area and needed to be struck out by the state government.

The chairman described the hawkers permit as a discouragement to the hawkers who are comprised of mostly widows and orphans, striving to earn a living through going round with their goods.

“I was not aware of this, but suddenly started receiving complaints from hawkers in that markets.

“NZATA is not a forum to stop the government from doing what is legitimate but they need to be considerate.

“Atleast there should have been a circular notifying the trade union, then we discuss and agree before implementation. We are always supportive”, NZATA boss said.

He appealed to the state Government intervention on the plight of the victims, adding that both the traders who can not afford meal of high prices would suffer if the hawkers stop operating due to the new order.

“Do you know that traders who can not go to PALMA will also suffer this.
Again, these hawkers are widows and orphans who can not earn a living without hawking”, Hon. Ezema stressed.

When the TheSlides visited the area, some of the hawkers, Chineche Eze who said he is an orphan and Mrs Vicky Ugwu, a widow confirmed the new order, and pleaded with the Enugu state Governor, Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to urgently intervene in the issue to enable them continue their businesses.

“My parents have died, this is what I do to live life, please, government help us”, Chineche pleaded.

Some of them, seeing with goods not worth 2000 naira, complained that they even borrow money for the business and would pay at the end of the day, remaining small money to put flesh and blood together.

Efforts to reach the Internal revenue office of the Nsukka Local government area to comment on the issue proved abortive.