Anambra commissioner, traders on warpath over market election

The Anambra state Commissioner for Trade, Commerce, Markets and Wealth Creation, Hon. Uchenna Okafor, and the caretaker committee members at Ogbaru main market, are now on warpath over the Commissioner’s resolve to conduct election in the market on 25th January next year despite the committee members’ insistence that the composition of the electoral committee is illegal and as such should be reconstituted.

The commissioner disclosed to newsmen that the election became necessary in view of the present leadership crising rocking the market adding that only conduct of them and election would solve it.

The Commissioner who made this disclosure through the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Trade and Commerce. Mr. Ike Samuel, also denied allegation of imposition of the chairman of the committee members, Chief Ndubuisi Ochiogu, on the traders on the payment of #10million inducement .

He also described as false the aggrieved caretaker committee members’ claim that the Commissioner, Chief Ndubuisi Ochiogu and Chief Ogbogu Nwanodu, are now the three-man executive of the market including payment of #1million monthly by Ochiogu as loyalty to Commissioner.

Hear him, “It is not true and they can not prove or substantiate their claim even if we are aware majority of the caretaker committee members are at loggerhead with the chairman”

“This market and Ochanja market are the most trouble markets and that is why we have fixed election for 25 January for Ogbaru Main market and that of Ochanja we are going to put caretaker there, we are monitoring it”

In a swift reaction, the caretaker members who spoke through their representatives, Ogbogu Ocha and Patrick Ekunie, urged Governor Willie Obiano to disolve the caretaker committee members that include the chairman, Ochiogu, saying, ” three people, Commissioner, Ochiogu and  Chief Ogbogu Nwanodu, have hijacked the market and give directives on how the market should be piloted.”

“Since the day we were sworn in as caretaker members till today nothing has been given to us and when we ask chairman he will say that the money he is to give us, #1million monthly, goes to the Commissioner”

” The Commissooner also directed the caretaker chairman to give  the secretary of the marrket, Bucknor Agu, #1.5million but he gave him #1million remaining #500000. We want the disolution of the caretaker before election is conducted”

“We also reject the three man electoral committee and demand the restoration of the earlier sacked electoral committee members that were appointed by the joint market members as stipulated in our constitution or the election will not be conducted.

Reacting when contacted, the committee chairman, Ochiogu, said, ” those aggrieved members their annoyance is because I refused to bring out the money that comes in for us to share”

“I have put infrastructure in the market, water, power supply and security. Before we came in every time there will be burgulary in the market but today it has become impossible”

“Money they say I give to the Commissioner is not true, what they want is any money that comes into the market we share and I say capital No and that is their grudges”.

“For this Christmas I gave each of them #10,000 and half bag of rice apart from 10,000 I give them every three months. they are 38 of them”.