Irked by the imposition of Osuwon Omoluabi weighing scale by the Osun government, market women, numbering over 400, on Thursday, staged a protest against the scale, saying it was inimical to their trade in the state.

Most of the women were from the popular Igbona market, in Olorunda local government area of the state.

The market women especially those dealing with grains and measurable products closed their shops and stormed the popular Olaiya Junction around 11:45 am before they moved to the Osun State House of Assembly to register their grievances.

The angry traders expressed displeasure over  what they described as imposition of Osunwon Omoluabi measurement scales, vowing to resist any attempt by the state government to compel them into using the scales.

It would be recalled that the state Ministry of Commerce, Cooperative and Empowerment’s task force and compliance officials had on Tuesday, thronged the market to  enforce the usage of the measurement scale by the market women, especially those dealing with grains and measurable products.

The ministry’s task force and compliance officials were in the market as early as 9:00 am in the morning  to monitor the level of compliance and also to sell the new scale to defaulters who might have not bought it.

The development which was said to have paralysed business activities in the market did not go down well with the market women, thus necessitating their public protest.

Speaking to newsmen, one of the protesters, who simply identified herself as Okin-Elelubo, said they preferred traditional measurement scale popularly called “Igbako or Osunwon” to that of Osunwon Omoluabi scales.

She contended that the non-conformity of the modern measurement scales which they use in buying their products from the villages and other produce points with the one introduced by the state government as the major reason for their refusal to use it.

Okin-Elelubo lamented that government task force had seized their goods and up till now the seized goods have not been released to them.

Corroborating the view of Okin-Elelubo, another trader, Alhaja Owoduni Salawu, accused the state government of not giving them any orientation as to the workings of the new scale.

She said they have taken the matter to the Iyaloja General of the state, Alhaja Awawu Asindemade, whom they also accused of allegedly conniving with the state government on the imposition of the Omoluabi weighing scale.