“Sometime in May 2024, the state government came again to remind us about the need to evacuate. So, we prepared our minds since the notice given to us had already expired. After that, we heard that they had started work at Holy Ghost and that they would also do the same thing at Abakpa and Gariki. You see that we had already removed all our belongings. However, government has not come. So we want to thank the governor for his patience and for extending the grace period,” Mr. Ndukwe added.

Narrating her preparedness for the development, a middle-aged woman who sells pampers and other children’s items, Ijeoma Egodi, said she was not in panic as she had already relocated to a shop opposite the park, stressing that traders welcomed the terminal station as a development that would boost the economy of the area.

At the park, a bus driver who shuttles to Akpugo, Okoh Nnam, said the governor had proved to be humane and friendly through the extension gesture of over a month after the notices served on them had expired in March.

“I want to thank Governor Peter Mbah and all his team for consulting with us and for giving us time to relocate to another good place. Even as I am talking to you now, we are all ready for the work to commence because the government has promised that we are all going to be beneficiaries of the development,” he added.

At Abakpa Market, the story was the same at the ENTRACO Park as most of the transport owners had already relocated to their new sites while traders in the premises had secured alternative shops and continued with their trading.

Addressing our correspondent, Mrs. Njideka Ogbodo, who sells utensils in one of the kiosks at the park, said she had secured a new shop that was better than the kiosk and hoped for a higher patronage.

“I’m almost done removing my goods because I have got a new shop. Come and see it. It’s more spacious and secure. I want to appreciate the governor for the time he gave us. We thought he would commence work in March but he decided to extend the time to enable us prepare ourselves,” she said.

A market leader at the Abakpa Market, Chief Igwesi Onyema, told our correspondent that they had been interfacing with the government for more time which led to the extension period of over one month.

“As you might have read in the news that government wanted to build a terminal station here, and had served everyone here with notices. We received it, and we held meetings amongst ourselves. We couldn’t meet the March deadline and we pleaded with the government to extend it by one month. That’s ending of April. Government yielded and it’s even getting to two months. Although we have all removed our belongings but we want to thank the governor for all the projects he is doing and for the terminal station. We are in support of it, and we will give all our support to see that everything goes well. Let me also thank him for the roads he is reconstructing here in Abakpa. We are happy with his administration,” he further noted.