Commending the sack, Chairman of Integrity Group, a pro-traders organisation, Chief Obinna Madu, said that the immediate past Commissioner for Trade, Commerce, Markets and Wealth Creation, Hon. Uchenna Okafor, should be held responsible for the flawed 30 markets.
His words, “I must commend the state government for dissolving caretaker committees installed by the immediate past Commissioner for Trade, Commerce, Markets and Wealth Creation in collaboration with Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano, wife of former Governor Willie Obiano, in 30 flawed markets and sack of leadership of Oseokwodu and Ogbaru Relief markets over same offence”
He recalled that, “on 7th of February this year former Commissioner wrote a letter that no election would be conduct in any market until after the governorship election to avoid distraction but the next day being 8th, he conducted a kangaroo election at Oseokwodu market through a proxy, Sunday Nwafa, without prior notice to the traders there and his annointed candidate emerged the winner as he did not contest with anybody as it was unexpected election.
“Only eight lines were allowed to vote out of about 200 of them and the rest majority were locked outside the gate with lines chairmen which prompted the two contestants to bycott the election for Ochiogu, annointed candidate, as it was mared with illegality.
Funny enough, the two contestants to Ochiogu were held hostage and APGA cloth that one of the two wore was torn to pieces when they wanted to leave on bycotting the flawed election and efforts they made by calling the Commerce Commissioner to come to their rescue including the permanent secretary, Mr. Samuel Ike, fell on deaf ear”
“At Ochanja market Okafor installed his brother as caretaker chairman after the tenure of the last elected chairman, that chairman should be allowed to contest in the next election.
“At Onitsha main market the caretaker committee overstayed its welcome, lasted over three years, almost a tenure of an elected executive. Ogbogwu market, Bridgehead had caretaker committee imposed for oiling the palm of the former Trade and Commerce Ministry.
“The essence of caretaker is to correct abnormality within a short period but Wiper and Ebelechukwu Obiano saw it as avenue for money yielding and created caretaker committees in most markets than having a democratic election.”
In his own commendation in a press release, the President of Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, Chief Kevin Obieri, said that the sack of the market leaders for reformation and modernizing of the markeks in the state was a welcomed development.
His words, “the recent dissolution of 30 markets and replacement of leaders for two markets that emerged via flawed elections and the reconstitution of new leadership for these affected markets made up of acceptable individuals by the state government are not only commendable but timely”
“For long Anambra State was saddled with a market system that is out of sync with the current realities of how modern markets operate around the world.
Now that government is taking steps to begin the process of conducting transparent, free and fair elections through the option A4 method, there is an urgent need for the soon to be elected leaders of the affected markets to ensure that they follow the blueprint of the state government for market management, organizations and accountability” he posited.
The state chairman of Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, comrade Vincent Ezekwueme, while commending the state government for the sack stated that, “I commend Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo for displaying in words and actions of his eagerness and willingness to restore and rescue the state from anarchy, lawlessness, despair and near state of nature where life will only be nasty, brutish and short, but the might is always be right.”
In a press release he tagged, ‘will the sufferings ever end,’ he said, “CLO received with gladness and joy the dissolution of caretaker committees of 30 markets and two other replaced market leadership over flawed election as a harbinger of the best thing that will certainly come to the state .This is in tandem with the wishes and aspiration of traders, citizens and visitors “.
“Recall that majority of the caretaker committees have overstayed their welcome and never bear the interest of the state at heart. To our greatest consternation in a democratic governance , some perpetrated monumental injustices against the traders they are supposed to protect.
The greatest legacy Soludo will bequeath the state is eradication of illegal revenue agents, democratization of markets, town unions and local Government leadership” he posited.
Also the chairman of another rights group, International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, Intersociety, Nze Emeka Umeagbalasi, while commending Soludo for the sack of the market leaders, hinted that the sacked leaders now carry bags of ‘Ghana-must-go’, to both Government House, Awka and other places to plead for reinstatement even as some employed the services of the media to plead for reinstatement.
He described the sack as a welcome development adding that there are still other market leaders that came in through the back door that will also be shown the way out.
