The Esuk Mba community market in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State is still practising trade by barter as a means of exchange for food items since it was established in 1956, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
This practice, NAN learnt, had been in peaceful existence among members of the community on every market day since 1956. According to him, the market is also significant because it was also a point of activities during the period of the slave trade in Nigeria.“We grew up to meet this market. We hold it so much in high esteem and we want to sustain it. We use it to remember our forefathers and to sustain our culture.
“In addition, we don’t have any good school here, no portable drinking water and health post. We need government intervention in this community,’’ he said. Also, Grace Okon told NAN that she brought in periwinkle, popularly called `mfi’ in Calabar language for exchange for garri, adding that it had helped them over the years to save cost in view of the scarce financial resources.