Traders in Kribi have been allocated shops, sheds and other spaces in the new market.
The Ngoyé Nkolbiteng modern market in Kribi with the inscription at the entrance, the “Gift of His Excellency Paul Biya, President of the Republic of Cameroon,” has finally been opened for commercial activities after a meticulous procedure of attributing shops and other spaces to traders.
The Member of the National Assembly for the Ocean Division, Hon. Martin Oyono and Senior Divisional Officer for the Ocean, Bissaga Antoine explained the criteria of attributing shops to traders during a visit to the market on February 24, 2014. It also served as the occasion for the first shops to be opened.
The fire incident of 2010 destroyed over 400 shops belonging to some 54 traders. There were over 700 traders operating in the market by then, the President of the traders, Bisso Ndjana Hélène said. The modern market has 190 shops, 138 boxes, over 450 sheds and other open spaces that enable it offer a total of 1142 spaces to traders.
Hon. Martin Oyono explained that when the fire incident happened, the Head of State first reacted by sending financial assistance to the victims, then ordered for modern market to be constructed. After construction, the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, René Emmanuel Sadi officially inaugurated the market in September 2013.
It was expected that after inauguration traders would move in within a short while, but the process of attributing shops and other spaces to traders was blocked by a complicated procedure further compounded by intoxicating intervention of some politicians.
A commission was put in place to handle issue. The commission following lists drawn up by the Government Delegate to the Kribi City Council, finally decided that the 54 traders whose shops were destroyed will first of all be offered shops; secondly traders who were up to date with their taxes in 2010 and remaining spaces to other traders both old and new.
The Senior Divisional Officer for the Ocean Division called on traders to be disciplined, orderly, liberate the entrance to the market, keep the market clean and put up exemplary behaviour.
