In a surprising turn of events, officials from the Awka Capital Territory Development Authority (ACTDA) descended upon a newspaper stand at Aroma junction, adjacent to the federal and state secretariats, on Thursday.
They seized copies of newspapers on display and instructed vendors to relocate to shops, thereby ceasing the public display of newspapers in Awka.
The newspapers confiscated by the government officials included prominent titles such as The Sun, Daily Trust, Vanguard, Leadership, News Direct, The Nation, Guardian, Business news, Blue Print, New Telegraph, and Standard Trust.
One of the affected vendors, Mrs Nancy Madugwunna, expressed her dismay at the actions of the Governor Charles Soludo-led administration, accusing it of attempting to drive them out of business. She pointed out that government officials themselves were customers at their stands, and questioned the rationale behind moving them away from the open space.
Madugwunna argued that newspaper vendors across the country operate from open kiosks, and Anambra State should be no exception. She said, “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 newspapers vendors renting shops to sell papers.”
She revealed that the taskforce officials had seized her newspapers worth over N85,000, leaving her uncertain about how to compensate the media houses whose papers were confiscated. She also mentioned that the government had previously destroyed their shades, kiosks, and tables.
Madugwunna questioned the motives of the Soludo government, asking, “What is Soludo government trying to achieve by trying to stop public sale of newspapers in Awka? Why is the government pursuing us? In all the states, newspapers are displayed in public kiosks and not in shops. We are not books sellers.”
Dr Odugwu Emeka Odugwu, the Chairman of the Anambra State chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), stated that it is impractical for newspaper vendors to operate from shops. He emphasised the symbiotic relationship between journalists and vendors, noting that journalists write stories about society and the vendors sell the papers. He said, “It is not normal to clamp down on newspaper vendors in any sane state. Government should know that journalists, vendors and government work together for the good of society.”
However, the Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Christian Aburime, defended the raid, stating that the vendors should comply with the ACTDA’s directive and move to shops. He said, “They should not be constituting nuisance to the public by displaying newspapers on the streets.”