Itu council boss promises befitting facilities at Etagha Itam Market to boost IGR

As part of efforts to boost its internally generated revenue (IGR), Itu Local Government Council in Akwa Ibom State says it will provide basic facilities at the Etagha Itam Market, a major entrepreneurship hub in the area.

Elsie Esara, chairman of the local government transition committee, who spoke during the monthly sanitation exercise, decried the absence of such facilities saying it had hindered smooth operations in the market.

According to her, the market being a major revenue generating point in the area has to be properly run and managed, saying market union leaders deserve a befitting office while the traders and entrepreneurs need to have a health centre in case of emergency and a police post as well.

 “Etagha Itam market has existed for so many years and I have come to realise that there is no market office where the union leaders operate from and as such proper administration could be difficult, there is no health centre in case of emergency and there is no police post for adequate security. This administration in the Local Government will ensure that all those facilities are provided,’’ she said.

She decried the distortion of the original design of the market saying that building of market stalls on drainage channels could result in flooding when it rains.

“It is also disturbing to see that the original plan of the market has not been followed, stalls are built on the drainage channels causing the market to flood during rains, we are planning possible measures to address such problems.

She announced that environmental the sanitation would be observed every last Saturday of the month to keep faith with what Governor Udom Emmanuel is doing at the state level which she said should be replicated at the grassroots.

“If you build a beautiful house and you don’t keep it clean; the beauty will not be seen. We want the beauty of the council headquarters to come out. We ensured that the civil servants carried out the exercise in their offices and environs on Friday. This will continue on a monthly basis to support what our dear Governor, Udom Emmanuel is doing at the state level.’’

 The market union chairman, Emmanuel Ekanem, said the union was moved by the show of love expressed by the council boss, by declaring a free ticket market day that has not been witnessed in the history of the market, constituting a committee to oversee the revenue and other activities in the market and the elimination   multiple ticketing and unnecessary exploitations of traders in the market.

He promised the support of his union to ensure that she succeeds in her plans to provide necessary facilities to better the lots of the traders.