The Bayelsa State Government has banned all tribal and ethnic-based traders’ associations operating in Swail and other markets in the state.

Consequently, the State Commissioner of Police has been directed to enforce the order by arresting any person or group of persons who continues to parade themselves as members of such associations at the various markets.

The Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, gave the orders at the weekend after receiving a report from the Swali Market Conflict Resolution Committee during a meeting in Government House, Yenagoa.

Speaking at the meeting which was also attended by a large number of traders from the Swali Market, the Deputy Governor sounded a note of warning that government would decisively take on anybody who violates the ban on ethnic group-based traders’ associations in the state.

To this end, he directed the Nigeria Police and other security agencies to monitor, arrest and prosecute anyone or group of traders that will flout the prohibition order of government.

Senator Ewhrudjakpo, who also came down hard on the State Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment for not demonstrating effective leadership, observed that the protracted crisis among the traders in Swali market was a fallout of the compromise, ineptitude and failure on the part of the Ministry.

The Deputy Governor, however, clarified that going forward, traders association would only be allowed to exist in the markets strictly on the basis of the kind of goods or products traders deal on.

He said government would set up another committee to set and define the guidelines, requirements and qualifications to be met by those interested in holding any leadership positions in the popular Swali Market Traders Association.

His words: “I think what is happening at the Swali Market is a failure from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment. It is because of the compromise of the leadership of the Ministry, with due respect to them, that is why they have this problem.

“So I think it is an issue of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment not being able to provide leadership, either as a result of leadership ineptitude or compromised leadership that takes sides. There are a lot of reports of compromise about the Ministry.

“The Honourable Commissioner for Information will make the formal announcement: All tribal traders associations in that market is hereby banned – no Isoko traders association; no Urhobo traders association; no Igbo traders association, and no Ijaw traders association, and others not mentioned here.

“All such existing tribal associations are hereby banned in all our markets across the state. None should exist. The Commissioner of Police and other law enforcement agencies of government are hereby directed to arrest anyone or group parading themselves as such.

“If anybody goes there and start to say I am the chairman of Igbo Traders Association, Swali branch, government would take on you. That is not recognized by us. All those association are banned and they remain banned.”

Presenting the report, Chief Boma Spero-Jack, the Chairman of the Swali Market Conflict Resolution Committee, identified unhealthy politicization of the traders association and inordinate ambition by various interests to control revenues being generated at the Swali Market as causes of the crisis.

Dr. Spero-Jack informed that the Committee had recommended a legislative solution that would put to rest the recurrent leadership problem bedeviling the market.

The Committee also recommended the institutionalization of an alternative conflict resolution body, and a market regulatory council to effectively regulate the markets.

Other top government functionaries present at the meeting include the Chief of Staff, Dr Peter Akpe; the Deputy Chief of Staff Government House, Deputy Governor’s Office, Comrade Gowon Toruyouyei, and the Commissioner for Trade, Industry and Investment represented by the Director of Markets, Mrs. Mildred Francis Igele.

The Commissioner of Police, the State Director of the Department of State Services, and the Deputy State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps were also part of the meeting.

Source: https://guardian.ng/news/nigeria/metro/bayelsa-bans-ethnic-tribal-traders-associations-in-markets/#:~:text=The%20Bayelsa%20State%20Government%20has%20banned%20all%20tribal,in%20Swail%20and%20other%20markets%20in%20the%20state.

Is ok if that will bring peace and stability

No more Eze indigbo.. WAANU of Balyesa and world wide.

Swali Market!

Lol, how are minority tribes able to pull this of without noise and a majority tribe Yoruba will first start doing numerous round of shalaye if we take any action.

Who induce Yoruba people with this level of extreme liberalism?

This is a good one. For the sake of unity and peace.

Yy

They should please do same in all federal institutions.

What concerns association of sosos state students with universities.
Breeding tribalism instead of unity

Lol

Why?

what about freedom of association
this action will not stand legal scrutiny.

Good one, in the market near me, the Yoruba association is making trouble with the Igbo chairman because their candidate lost the election, very bad antecedent they are setting

we told you Nigeria is a zoo republic

Bayelsa state is created by the zoo constitution

Freedom of association is created by the zoo constitution

Bayelsa state woke up and decided to ban Freedom of association

Is that not animal Republic?

Baboons and Monkeys everywhere

VERY GOOD!

No more EZE INDIGBO in the market place!

Well done Bayelsa.

All Markets in YORUBALAND should emulate.

Lagos over to you

Good, but the constitution says that we have freedom of association

Better ..

It's wrong to have a tribal based traders association anywhere...

Every traders association should only be differentiated by what they trade ..not by their tribe.

That's how best to mitigate against tribally influenced price inflations

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

But under the constitution. They are free to do so.....

Ndi bayelsa na where man dey work e dey chop oo



It's only a Nigerian girl, you will see preparing for marriage and only has #5k in her account.

Sleekfingers:
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

But under the constitution. They are free to do so.....

They are not saying they can't form an association of what they trade...the caveat her is....it shouldn't be tribe based.

LegendHero:
Lol, how are minority tribes able to pull this of without noise and a majority tribe Yoruba will first start doing numerous round of shalaye if we take any action.

Who induce Yoruba people with this level of extreme liberalism?

Bros, na SERIOUS character defect with we Yorubas.

Over friendliness and "SOPHISTICATION" don nearly waylay us finish

HA! We have a very weak sense of Territorial Integrity and Ethnic Preservation.

We don dey WAKE UP small small and RONU sha

How I wish its goes around all our open market places

There should just rebrand. Igbo traders can rename their own Ogiri Seller Association

yang:
we told you Nigeria is a zoo republic

Bayelsa state is created by the zoo constitution

Freedom of association is created by the zoo constitution

Bayelsa state woke up and decided to ban Freedom of association

Is that not animal Republic?

Baboons and Monkeys everywhere

Well if the traders don't like it,they can go to their various states.🤷🚶🚶

Warrior99:
Bro, na SERIOUS character defect with we Yorubas.

Over friendlyness and SOPHISTICATION don nearly waylay us finish

As in. Even the media will overlook it and it won’t generate any noise.

If na one Yoruba state do that, you go don see the governor Dey roam about media stations dey answer useless question on what he is doing. Bigotry keyword go don Dey fly left and right.

Not just markets.

Ethnic titles in foreign lands should be stopped.

Serikin blah blah.. in the West,

Ezendigbo worldwide in Niger delta etc

You'd even see some of these people with full regalia

What for?

adioolayi:


They are not saying they can't form an association of what they trade...the caveat her is....it shouldn't be tribe based.

Even if it is tribe base. They are free to do so under the constitution. The freedom of association has covered it all ........And there is nothing wrong with that. Inasmuch, it is still in good taste and not promoting any hate speeches etc

Even in the United States, there are association of black farmers , etc

Senseless people, them don carry their stupidity enter bayelsa, claim igbo association na make police carry you. Idiots

Ah!

Biafla!

They are evelywhere but don't want people on their land! Go buy land and see how they'll inflate plice for ummunna!

Alaigbo!

Anambala/Imo must be chairman!

Same must be deputy chairman!

Abia/ Enugu can be secletary!

Tleasuler must also be Anambala/Imo.

Ebonyi would settle for task force aka chief whip!

LegendHero:
Lol, how are minority tribes able to pull this of without noise and a majority tribe Yoruba will first start doing numerous round of shalaye if we take any action?

Who induces Yoruba people with this level of extreme liberalism?

There is nothing that correlates with Yoruba in this article. Bayelsa is a State, not an ethnic group. Moreover, the freedom of Association overrides whatever was said by the Deputy Governor.

You are too xenophobic to compete and succeed.

Great. This should happen across all markets in Nigeria

These associations are the backbone of igbo traders, these associations are formed by igbos to help each other , it's more of a culture to igbos why ban it?