Labour Party candidate for the Owerri Federal Constituency in the 2027 House of Representatives election, Dr. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, has decried the deplorable condition of the historic Orie Obibi Market in Imo State, describing its state as a symbol of decades of neglect and missed economic opportunities.
In a position paper titled “Orie Obibi Market: A Symbol of Neglect, A Vision for Renewal,” the former First Lady of Ondo State said it was unacceptable that one of the busiest traditional markets in the old Owerri Province still lacked basic infrastructure despite its enduring commercial importance.
According to her, Orie Obibi Market has for generations served as a major trading hub attracting merchants and buyers from across the South-East and South-South, including Aba, Port Harcourt, Umuahia, Onitsha and Calabar, yet its facilities have remained largely unchanged for over a century.
She lamented that traders still operate from makeshift wooden stalls roofed with ageing corrugated iron sheets, while poor sanitation, blocked drainage channels and indiscriminate waste disposal continue to pose serious environmental and public health risks.
Anyanwu-Akeredolu, who traced her maternal roots to Obibiezena, said the condition of the market was particularly painful because of her personal connection to the community.
“I grew up around this environment. Orie Obibi was part of our commercial and social life. I know this market intimately. I know its history, what it once represented and what it still represents to thousands of traders and families today,” she said.
She expressed concern that despite the market’s strategic role in the local economy, little had been done to modernise it, adding that communities lose significant economic opportunities when markets are neglected.
The Labour Party candidate also noted that the current member representing Owerri Federal Constituency is from Obibiezena, saying many residents would have expected the market to have evolved into a model rural commercial centre.
She stressed that the issue extended beyond infrastructure, describing it as one of dignity, public health and economic empowerment for thousands of traders who depend on the market for their livelihoods.
Anyanwu-Akeredolu pledged that if elected to the House of Representatives, she would work with the Federal Government, the Imo State Government, Owerri North Local Government Council, development partners and the private sector to pursue the comprehensive remodelling of the market.
She said the proposed upgrade would include the construction of modern lock-up shops and open stalls, potable water supply, sanitation facilities, efficient drainage systems, solar-powered street lighting, improved internal roads, parking spaces, a primary healthcare centre, security posts, fire safety facilities and digital market administration.
According to her, the project would stimulate commercial activities, create employment, improve agricultural marketing, enhance environmental sanitation, increase internally generated revenue and restore Orie Obibi’s status as one of the leading traditional markets in the South-East.
The Labour Party standard-bearer also argued that women bring a unique perspective to governance because they pay closer attention to issues affecting health, sanitation, family welfare and the daily realities of market women.
She maintained that representation should be measured by tangible improvements in people’s lives rather than political rhetoric, insisting that the remodelling of Orie Obibi Market would be one of her flagship constituency projects if elected in 2027.
