Anambra market crisis: No respite from opposition since our appointment, money, petitions used against us – market chairman

By Phil Okose, Onitsha

The chairman of Ochanja Central market, Onitsha, Chief Bonaventure Muo, Monday, told newsmen that since his appointment about four months now by Anambra State Government, as the caretaker committee chairman of the market, it has been war against him and his members by the opposition  in the market as they reportedly vowed to sack him.

Consequently, the leader of the opposition group who was aspiring to be the elected chairman of the market before the government appointed the caretaker committee, in a bid to put fear on the caretaker committee chairman, vowed to give each of the 22 union leaders on the market #250,000, monthly, to help them intensify war against for the removal of the chairman, Chief Muo.

To this end,, frivolous petitions are being sent on daily basis agaist the chairman to the State even as the chairman vowed not to be deterred by the antics of the opposition.

“They have refused to allow us rest since we were given this appointment because they felt we Ihave spoilt their plan and means of revenue generation in the market.

“They never expected the appointment because they were hoping on conduct of election as they have illegal means of manipulating the election to win. So when they heard of our appointment, the war against us started as they believe they are the owners of the market and can play and toy with it as they like.

They could not give the government accurate number of shops and lines in the market when government demanded to enumerate the shops and traders in the market, and it was because I rejected that and other illegalities going on in the market that they descended on us

“We are not scared and any day government asked us to vacate, I will quietly get to my office, I have a better office than the one they have here. Our sin is because what they could borrow be able to achieve over the years, we achieved in four months and the traders in solidarity, started supporting us both in kind and cash for the infrastructural development of the market.

“I never told government the false enumeration they made, and if I had told the government, they would have been the first to be sacked before us. The one  that is spearheading them, who was a former union leader and now a transporter, if you urinate and defecate he will petition you to government,” he stated.

Contribution, his secretary, Hon. Maduka Obinna and Personal Assistant, Hon. Chukwudi Okafor,  challenged most of the petition writers to out out physically for them to be seen  by the traders.

The secretariy urged the State Government to disregard their petitions as their intention was to be allowed to continue to extort the traders.

“With what we have been able to do in four months left keys the road we fix, the traders now believe in our performance and support us in the he construction of the road in the market. So those opposing us could not be able to perform and they see us that we are spoiling their means of revenue generation,” he hinted.

Reacting, the secretary revealed that traders have continued to praise them for the wonderful job they are doing in the market and even asked them to continue in their good work that they are in their support.

He described the attack on the leadership as unfortunate adding that it would not deter them from their good work that the traders have endorsed and urged them not to relent on.