Members of the group made the appeal on Wednesday during a peaceful protest to the Enugu Government House and the State House of Assembly.

The Yam Sellers Association of Nkwo Ogbede Market in Igbo-Etiti East Local Government Area of Enugu State has appealed to Governor Peter Mbah and the state assembly to intervene in a dispute with the local government chairman, Dr. Eric Odoh.

Members of the group made the appeal on Wednesday during a peaceful protest to the Enugu Government House and the State House of Assembly.

The protesting yam sellers, who marched through Okpara Square to both locations, alleged that the Council Chairman ordered the demolition of over 100 stalls belonging to their members in late February 2025.

They claimed that goods worth millions of naira were destroyed in the process, and that the demolition was carried out without prior notice or adequate compensation.

Speaking to journalists, the association's chairman, Mr. Ezoyiri Longinus, who led the protest, accused the Council Chairman, Dr. Odo, of reallocating the demolished market spaces to his political associates and wealthy individuals at exorbitant prices—without offering the original stall owners the right of first refusal.

The traders maintained that they legally acquired the stalls in 2010 during the tenure of former Council Chairman, Mr. Ogbonna Idike, and were issued certificates of allocation by the Council.

"We purchased these stalls from the same local government area in 2010 and were given a certificate of allocation. We also built the stalls under their supervision with our hard-earned money," Longinus said.

The association, made up largely of widows, said the demolition had inflicted severe hardship and injustice, wiping out years of hard work and dedication invested in their businesses.

"The sudden loss of our means of income has left us in an extremely precarious position, exacerbating our already challenging circumstances," they said.

In separate protest letters addressed to Governor Peter Mbah and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, the traders urged the governor to intervene by directing the Council Chairman to halt the ongoing reallocation of their stalls, reconstruct the demolished structures, or provide adequate compensation.

"We respectfully request your compassionate intervention in this matter. The yam sellers urge you to direct the Chairman of Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area to forthwith stop the reallocation of our stalls to persons other than affected traders and reconstruct our demolished stalls and/or provide adequate compensation to the affected traders as mandated by the law," the association said in the letter jointly signed by members of the executive led by Longinus.

The traders also want the chairman to identify and allocate a suitable market area where they can conduct business without hindrance, with sufficient facilities for lorries to off-load yams.

"Where he chooses to provide us adequate compensation, he shall identify and allocate a suitable market area where the affected traders can conduct business without hindrance, with sufficient facilities for Lorries to off-load yams," the association said.

The association expressed the belief that the governor's intervention will restore hope to the affected traders who have faced undue hardship for over three months.

"Your Excellency, your commitment to the welfare of the people of Enugu State is well-known, and we believe that your intervention in this matter will restore hope to affected traders who have faced undue hardship at the hands of the Chairman, having been out of business for over three months now!" the association said.

The traders have expressed their disappointment in the chairman's actions, saying that they voted for him to defend them, not to oppress them.

"We humbly wish to remind you that we all voted the Chairman to defend us, not to oppress us, and we will be solidly behind him if he does us good, not evil," the association said.

The association attached copies of the certificates of allocation issued by the local government at the time of purchase as proof of ownership. The traders maintain that these documents affirm their legitimate claim to the stalls.