– Seek Governor’s Intervention
– Fault Payment Into Private Bank Accounts
There is palpable tension at the International Market Orlu, as traders are lamenting over what they describe as outrageous stallage and refuse disposal fees imposed on them by the Orlu Local Government Council and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry that have been at loggerheads over who controls the market.
The traders, in an open letter to the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma stated that “since the inception of the market in 2006, they paid #2,000 each annually from 2017-2019. Then in the year 2020, it was increased to #3,000 each annually. It was further increased to #6,000 in 2022. In 2020. It was recently increased to #24,000 a year without any justifiable reason.”
They also noted that stallage fees that were formerly collected at the end of the year are now collected at the middle of the month from the traders, who, as a result of the frightening security challenges in the area are not finding things easy.
“The height of the impunity and high handedness in the market is the appointment of a non trader to preside over the affairs of the market, as against the usual practice of electing a trader in the market as Chairman, “
The traders also expressed dismay over the way and manner the Chairman of Orlu Local Government Area, Pastor Chris Mbarie, petitioned the police, demanding the removal of the Head of the refuse disposal team in the market who was appointed by the previous administration while his tenure has lasted for over 8 months within which he didn’t collect the entire sanitation fees for the year. Though, he had disposed of refuse for the period he stayed in office.
They also lamented that, on February 28, 2025, the Chairman of Orlu LGA, Pastor Chris Mbarie stormed the market with representatives of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, market authorities, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), men of the Orlu Area Command, and operatives of the DSS in Orlu.The Chairman at that point, announced to the surprise of the traders that stallage fees have been increased from N6000 to #24,000 per annum without considering the impact of the over 70% increase on the traders.
“The Chairman, despite announcing the outrageous stallage fee of #24,000 that was insensitively imposed on the traders, went ahead to say that any trader who fails to pay the newly imposed fee of #24,000 within a stipulated time, will have his or her shop locked up indefinitely.”
“To this end, we the traders at International market, Orlu unequivocally state that we will not pay the outrageous stallege fee of #24,000 per year. The persisting security challenges in Orlu has made most of the wealthy businessmen to relocate to other towns including, Onitsha, Owerri, Aba, etc, while those who cannot afford the cost of relocation decided to remain in Orlu and manage themselves amidst the biting economic downturn. We are therefore pleading that the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma (Onwa Oyoko) comes to our rescue”.
They also urged the Governor to categorically state who among the Local Government Council and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is incharge of the market as regards the collective of fees and levies that have become the bone of contention among the two government agencies for some time now.
