Newspaper vendors, Anambra Govt disagree on street sale of newspapers

By Felix Oti, Awka

Newspaper vendors in Awka and the Anambra State government have disagreed with the Government’s decision ordering newspaper vendors to vacate the streets and relocate to shops.

Our reporter reports that the state government  urged the newspaper vendors in the state to relocate their business to shops and stop displaying newspapers in public places in Awka.

The men of Awka Capital Territory Development Authority ACTDA, who stormed Aroma junction, a newspaper stand along the federal and state secretariat, seized all copies on display, urging the vendors to look for shops to sell their papers.

The list of papers taken away by the government are The Sun, Daily Trust, Vanguard, Leadership, Nigerian NewsDirect, The Nation, Guardian, Business news, BluePrint, New Telegraph, among others.

One of the vendors who spoke to NewsDirect, Mrs Nancy Madugwunna said it is very sad that the government of Soludo would want to push them out of business in the state.

She said that the government officials buy papers from them and wondered why the government would want to move them away from the public to shops just to sell newspapers.

Madugwunna said that everywhere in the country, newspapers vendors stay in open kiosks and Anambra State cannot be different.

According to her, they have been displaying newspapers on the stand before the creation of Anambra State till date and wondered what the governor wants to achieve by denying the public access to information.

“I have been in this business for many years and no government has stopped us from displaying newspapers at the Aroma junction newspapers stand. This news stand is older than Anambra State. I have not heard about newspaper vendors renting shops to sell papers,” she said.

She lamented that the men seized her papers worth over N85,000 noting that she does not know how to pay the various media houses whose papers were confiscated.

She said the government had earlier destroyed their shades, kiosks and their tables, now they are forcing us to abandon the selling of papers in the state.

Madugwunna said that if the government wants them to stop the business of selling papers,they should make it clear.

Reacting, the Chairman of Anambra State chapter of Nigerian Union of Journalists NUJ Dr Odugwu Emeka Odugwu said, “it is not possible for newspaper vendors to stay in shops to sell newspapers.”

According to him, “Journalists and vendors work in partnership for the development of society.”

He added that the journalists write stories about the society and the vendors sell the papers, noting that if a published news is not read it amounts to nothing.

He advised the government to have a proper dialogue with the vendors to have proper and seamless operation in the state .

“It is not normal to clap down on newspaper vendors in any sane state. Government should know that journalists, vendors and the government work together for the good of the society,” he stated.

When contacted on phone, the Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Christian Aburime, said that the vendors should obey the instructions of ACTDA officials and move to shops.

According to him, “They should not be constituting nuisance to the public by displaying newspapers on the streets.”