NAN-H-52
Traders
By Angela Atabo
Abuja, May 1, 2017 (NAN) Traders at the Eagle Square venue of the 2017 May Day rally in Abuja on Monday, bemoaned the disruption of the event, saying it engendered low patronage for their wares.
The rally, which commenced on a good note at about 11.20 a.m., was disrupted when workers refused to listen to the President Muhammadu Buhari’s address to be read by his representative, Labour Minister, Dr Chris Ngige.
The workers queried the absence of the president or the Vice President at the event, saying it was disregard for them and insisted that they would only listen to any of the two leaders.
They sang songs of protest and turned deaf ears to entreaties by some leaders and top government officials at the venue.
The protest continued for a long time and forced the minister, President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogora, to leave the venue.
Some workers’ unions stretched their grievance by walking out from the rally.
Some of the traders, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said that it was sad for them that the event was disrupted by the aggrieved workers.
Mrs Juliet Osagie, who sold fez cap and brooch at the venue, said that she came with high expectation to sell as she normally did at such events but had her hope dashed when some workers left the venue angrily.
Osagie said that the only sales she made was before the event started, adding that if the rally had gone on smoothly, it would have been a happy ending for her.
“My items were not really bought today, so I will have to go back home with the load I brought. Although I am not happy at all, I still thank God for life,’’ she said.
Mr Sylvester Odey, a soft drink seller, said that at last year’s event, he sold over 10 cartons of soft drinks and water.
He, however, lamented that this year he did not even sell up to four cartons before the event ended.
Odey said that the workers stormed out of the venue angrily and did not even care for refreshment, adding that those he tried to persuade to buy refused.
“I don’t know what happened but this celebration did not end as the previous ones; nobody even cared to patronise me on their way home.
“I am not happy about that at all; if the case was different, I would be smiling home, but now I have to carry enough load back home when I could have sold them off.’’
Mr Usman Isah, a cloth seller said this year’s event was not a celebration at all but a protest.
Isah said he came from Kano as usual to sell clothes but that the event turned out to be scattered and uncoordinated and made people not to have time to buy items.
He said that he did not make up to the transport fare he paid from Kano from the few materials he sold before the disruption of the rally.
The case was the same for Mr Eze Samuel, a book seller who came from Kuje and was “highly disappointed” with the way things turned out.
Samuel said the event was disrupted, and so were all the businesses around the arena.
However, Mrs Risi Idowu, a food seller, said she was able to make some good sales as she arrived early at the venue of the event, adding that before the event ended she had sold enough. (NAN)
ATAB/OPI/OPI