OWERRI: NOW A CITY OF ADSURDITY, CRISIS AND HOOLIGANISM

OWERRI: NOW A CITY OF ADSURDITY, CRISIS AND HOOLIGANISM
By Nwamkpa Modestus

Owerri, a once adjudged  most peaceful state capital in Nigeria is gradually but unfortunately wearing the toga of a city of absurdity, crisis and hooliganism. Since the last Saturday when the popular Ekeukwu Owerri was mowed down by the state Governor in a most bizarre manner, peace has evaporated from the state. There is now palpable anger, bitterness and crisis.
The entire Douglas Road housing the Ekeukwu market have been under siege and fully militarized. Movement in and around the place is now risky and restricted. Traders are counting their losses and gnashing their teeth. Prayer Warriors are invoking the spirit of God for help. Maybe, Native Doctors are also consulting their gods. The family of Ibeanusi whose only son Somtomchukwu was shot and killed cold bloodily are causing that black Saturday and mourning their bereavement.
Again, today Wednesday, pandemonium broke out in Owerri. Crisis erupted within the town. People again were subjected to another round of chaos and battle. Some Youths of Owerri Nche Ise obviously enraged over the alleged brutalization and invasion of their land by some Youths from the Oil producing LGA mobilized their Arsenal and allegedly attacked an Ohaji/Egbema trader apparently in retaliation which reportedly left one of their victims dead.
Expectedly also, there was a counter mobilization and a corresponding retaliation from the opposite direction which led to another unrest and crisis.  In the mist of this melee, innocent people were beaten and injured; properties were destroyed and looted. Above all, the relative peace in the city dangerously degenerated further. The resultant effect was its concomitant tension and anxiety all over the state Capital as people were ran for their dear lives and traders hurriedly closed shops. Families were put into serious fear while calls were anxiously and fearfully placed in curiosity.
In all of these, I personally feel worried because those who make positive change impossible make violent change inevitable.  I knew that the end to that Saturday unholy action of the government was yet to be seen. My innocent mind had been going back and forth in remembrance of that 1996 Otokoto crisis when the state witnessed the raw anger of the people after the killing of the little innocent groundnut seller boy late Master Ikechukwu Okonkwo. I have therefore been fervently supplicating to God never to allow us pass through that horrendous period again.
However, the truth of the matter is that either this government under Governor Okorocha does not take or seek for a sincere advice or it lacks personnel who can boldly advice the Governor. Otherwise, I do not see the sense in trying to adopt the approach that the Governor adopted in demolishing the popular Ekeukwu market last Saturday. There could have been a better way or approach in going about it.
Now for clarity sake, as I have always said, iam particularly not  against any plan of the Governor at modernizing the Ekeukwu market. In fact, I support any genuine plan in modernizing  the market with the view to making it look attractive and curbing criminality around the area. But I am completely against relocating the market entirely from the place to another LGA. Again, I do not support  the idea of forcefully evacuating the Traders without providing a better alternative place.
In the first place, the market is a traditional market and about the only cultural heritage left for Owerri people. It equally provides a sustainable economic base for their Elderly mother and Youths. It will be most unfair to completely remove the market and site it in another LGA.
Every community in Igboland has a market. For instance, you cannot go to Ogboko and remove their traditional market and go and site it in Orlu. Ofcourse, the people must react or resist it. And If you eventually do that, the truth remains that it will never answer Ogboko market again. Therefore, if you remove Ekeukwu market and take it to Akwakuma or Ohi, will it answer Ekeukwu market there?
Again, I consider it preposterous and infantile the argument that the market is being relocated in order to curb criminality around the place. Instead, modernize the market, clear the area of street trading, rehabilitate the roads and criminality would be taken care of.
In government, it is not everything that is right is expedient. While it may appear right to demolish and relocate the market, it is certainly not expedient now to do that because of so many factors. This is rainy season and adequate relocation plan in terms of allocation of the shops to the traders have not been done assuming the traders must leave compulsorily. Also, the excruciating economic situation prevalent in the state does not support such forceful demolition now.
After all, government is for the people and not the people for government. Therefore, every action of the government especially the kind of action under review must be done with the highest level of circumspection and it must be subtle. It shouldn’t be coercive and combative or else you get violent reaction from the people.
Psychologically, human beings are reactive in nature and can angrily resist certain actions that attack their self esteem and economic base. And this was what played out in Owerri today.
Again, why would you carry out such action under a full militarized environment as if there was war in the land? What is even the urgency now?
Anyway, I sue for peace among the Traders and Owerri people. I advise government to move in now to curtail the building up of anger. If possible, let every action in that Ekeukwu market be suspended forthwith pending when all peace building processes are completed.
This is my take.