Crisis brew in Edo markets over leadership

By Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY – CRISIS is brewing successful Edo markets arsenic immoderate women nether the name, Edo State Market Women Association (ESMWA) connected Wednesday protested alleged imposition of a marketplace person popularly called Iy’eki who is not of Benin extraction connected them claiming it is simply a negation of their age-long signifier of having a Benin pistillate who understands the civilization and contented of Benin arsenic their leader.

They alleged that the existent Iy’eki, Josephine Ibhaguezejele was imposed connected them by immoderate radical successful authorities and the girl of President Bola Tinubu who is the Iyaloja of Lagos.

The women protested astir Benin City and astatine the premises of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) presented a missive to the Oba of Benin urging him to intervene successful the contented and guarantee a Benin idiosyncratic is made their leader.

But erstwhile contacted, Ibhaguezejele said the protestation was politically motivated and that the allegations against her were mendacious adding that the protesters were not known to the relation she leads.

The missive signed Mrs Florence Ahunwan, their coordinator and 5 others claimed that the alleged imposition of Ibhaguezejele was an injustice and taboo “where a non-Benin, with nary known inclination to the Benin contented and custom, has been imposed to oversee the absorption of markets successful Benin City and by extension, Edo State.”

They said the presumption of Iy’eki is not a governmental bureau that is tied to immoderate governmental enactment oregon medication but a ineffable and accepted presumption exclusively preserved for a qualified pistillate of Benin extraction.

They alleged that “under her, our markets person go a instrumentality for extortion by thugs loyal to her, our women are faced with each mode of levies, and wherever they effort to resist, they are beaten, insulted and their businesses threatened.

“Her illegitimate reign has brought astir wide part and resentments crossed markets successful Benin arsenic marketplace women are present confused arsenic to her abrupt assertion of ly’eki

“lyeki, alongside her officers, arsenic created by the Oba of Benin, are accepted gatekeepers of the markets successful Benin City, and by extension, Edo State, who advocator for amended marketplace policies, marketplace security, arsenic good arsenic show terms of commodities to suit existent economical realities, and marque surviving casual for marketplace women, and consumers crossed Edo State.

“No pistillate of Benin extraction tin laic assertion to lye kiln Esan land, nary Benin pistillate tin laic assertion to lyeki successful Edo North, adjacent though the enactment extends to these, the accepted headship is ever reserved for daughters of the soil.

“To this extent, and arsenic daughters of the soil, Your Majesty’s natural, spiritual and loyal subjects, we question for your fatherly intervention, In the productive solution of the impasse present ravaging our markets nether Pastor Josephine, who has go a thorn successful the soma of marketplace women successful Benin, regularly mobilising thugs to harass Edo marketplace women, who effort to question her dictatorial tendencies.”

The station Crisis brew successful Edo markets implicit leadership appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.