Edo governor slashes market levy

The governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki, has announced a 40 per cent reduction on the monthly levy paid by traders in select markets in the state.

The traders would now pay N3, 000, instead of the usual N5, 000 levy.

The traders who would benefit from the cut are those whose businesses are not viable in Agbado, Oliha, Ogiso and Uwa markets in Benin City, the state capital, Mr Obaseki said.

The slash is to help them boost their profit margin, he said.

Mr Obaseki announced this while receiving members of the Market Women Association who paid him a courtesy visit on Monday, according to a statement from the governor’s media aide, Crusoe Osagie.

The market women were led on the visit by their leader, Blackie Ogiamien.

The governor, who said he was giving priority to job-creation, told the women that his administration has been able to stop double ticketing and touting in the state.

He assured them that he would soon look into the issue of power supply, water, and sanitation in all the markets within Benin City.

The women thanked the governor for tackling double ticketing and touting in the markets.

Also, the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has expressed solidarity with Governor Obaseki.

The state chairman of NURTW, Odio Olaye, who led the members of the union on a solidarity walk to the Edo Government House, on Monday, told Mr Obaseki that the union was in support of his policies and programmes.

“It is only those who are blind that will not see the good work you are doing. You are building roads, we are seeing the projects and our members are happy with you,” Mr Olaye told the governor.

He added, “We appreciate the good work you are doing with the Edo State Traffic Management Agency (EDSTMA), the vigilante group and the Public Works Volunteers (PUWOV) programme.”

The governor thanked the union members for their support and assured them that his administration was determined to make life more meaningful for the Edo people.