. Appeal to govt, SPDC for assistance
By Amos Okioma
Bayelsa State residents and commuters have decried the heavy gridlock they experience every Friday, which they attributed to the presence of Opolo Epie market.
They, therefore, appealed to the market authorities and state government to ameliorate what they termed the unpleasant vehicular queue, which worsens the situation.
The Opolo market is a community market, which SPDC turned into a modern market as parts of its corporate social responsibilities. It is being managed solely by the community which appointed a market committee that maintains and collects fees from traders.
But with the creation of Bayelsa State by the late Sani Abacha in 1996, the Opolo market has expanded beyond its capacity and today it has become a nightmare to road users and commuters as traders and commuters now compete for spaces with its attendant consequences.
In an interview with The Niche, the Chairman of Opolo Market Committee, Oyisor Didi, confirmed that it was a community market, which they manage.
He regretted that the market has expanded beyond their scope and they had been contending with gridlock it causes weekly.
He said that they had appealed to traders to stay off the road but they refused.
“As you can see we use police, Road Safety officials and our local security but to no avail. And due to this we have appealed to the state government and SPDC to help us relocate, stressing that a bridge is needed to access the 30 acre of lands earmarked for the purpose.
According to him, SPDC had carried out a survey plan and wondered why the project is being delayed.