By; PAMELA EBOH, Awka
Newspaper stands in Awka, Anambra State were on Monday a ghost of itself with free readers stranded at various newspapers selling points as newspaper vendors embarked on an indefinite strike.
The strike came on the heels of alleged harassment by officials of Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra State, aka as Oxha Brigade.
To this end, about five thousand Newspapers were left unsold.
Breakdown of the undistributed and unsold newspapers according to information stated showed, SUN 800, Vanguard 500, Nation 300, Oracle 200, This Day 150, Punch 100.
Addressing newsmen on the development, the acting Chairman of Nigeria Distributors Association, Awka chapter, Mr Emeka Nweze, said the officials of Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra State (popularly called “OCHA Brigade”) have continued to harass, intimidate and extort their members.
He said, “Often time they come and cart away our tables and umbrellas and even the newspapers. When the former boss Ocha Brigade was there we went and complained and he apologized to us and even used their vehicle to return our things, saying that they have no problem with vendors. But this new man came and they started again to deal with our members; they said we should go and get shops in the market and we ask, ‘is it only here that vendors operate?,”
“In fact, last Thursday, they came and did the worst; they came with machetes and cut our tables and seats into pieces, destroyed our umbrellas and newspapers, threatening to arrest and detain our members.”
According to Nweze, the distributors had earlier written a petition to the state government through the Secretary to Anambra State Government (SSG), copied to the Commissioner of Police, the State Director, DSS and the Commissioner of Information.
Though he said that they are yet to received any response, the government agency had continued to maltreat them.
The petition, signed by Nweze and the Association’s Secretary, Ifeanyi Nwafor read in part, “Newspaper Distributors and vendors have been passing through nightmare in the hands of the officials of OCHA Brigade for a long time.
“The officials have been clamping down on our members, intimidating and harassing us, seizing the items we use in the display of our newspapers and at times extort money from us. The items of our members in the custody of the agency since more than three months include; five tables and four umbrellas worth N70,000.”
The Association further vowed to stop its members from distributng newspapers and magazines in the city until the state government is able tp assure them of their safety in the state.
Some of the regular newspaper readers described the situation as strange for newspaper vendors to embark on strike judging from thr kind of servicr they render to the public.
They callied on government to intervene in the matter.
A regular free readers member at St Faith Anglican Church junction, Mr. Ikechukwu Orji said, “I came out thus morning as usual to read newspaper only to discover that the entire newspaper stands along Zik Avenue were abandoned. Vendors going on strike in this State? This is unbelievable. What haven’t our eyes seen in This country?
Though efforts to reach the head of the OCHA Brigade did not yield any result, the state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr C-Don Adinuba, has promised to take up the matter with the head with a view to resolving the crisis immediately
