Newspaper vendors in Anambra State have embarked on strike following the consistent harassment and destruction of their newsstands and newspapers by officials of the state government.
Reportedly, there has been a raging battle between the vendors and Awka Capital Territory Development Agency.
The officials have vowed to stop vendors from displaying newspapers in places they termed unapproved corners.
Reacting to the consistent harassment, the vendors petitioned the police and the Department of State Services.
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It was gathered that the ACTDA officials failed to attend the reconciliation meeting proposed by the DSS to give room for dialogue between the vendors and the government officials on Thursday.
In a surprising turn of event, the officials went to the popular Aroma Junction and confiscated all the newspapers and destroyed the vendors’ tables.
One of the vendors noted that when they went to the ACTDA office to complain about the development, the Head of Administration said the taskforce team did not bring the confiscated newspapers to the office.
According to the vendors, a member of the taskforce, outside the ACTDA office, said they had given the newspapers out for wrapping suya, adding that the ACTDA official also boasted that they would never allow the vendors to display newspapers in Awka despite appeals by journalists and other people in the state capital.
Angered by the development, the vendors decided to go on strike, abandoning all the newspapers brought to Anambra State on Friday for sale.
