Soludo govt attacks newspaper vendors, confiscates newspapers

Governor of Anambra State Prof Charles Soludo has declared war on newspapers vendors in the state.

The governor has directed newspapers 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 newspapers 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, News Direct, The Nation, Guardian, Business news,Blue Print , New Telegraph, Standard Trust and others.

One of the vendors who spoke to Daily Trust Newpapers, 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 every where 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 newspapers vendors renting shops to sell papers ” she said .
According to her, Soludo 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 want them to stop the business if selling newspapers, they should make it clear.

“Why is Soludo government trying to achieve by trying to stop public sale of newspapers in Awka? Why is the government pursuing us out of public display of papers. In all the state newspapers are displayed in public kiosks and not in shops.
We are not books sellers” she stated.

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

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

He said 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 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 newspapers vendors in any sane state. Government should know that journalists, vendors and government work together for the good of the society ” he stated.

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

According to him, they should not be constituting nuance to public by displaying newspapers on the streets.