By Cajetan Mmuta
Hundreds of protesting traders under the umbrella of Onitsha Drugs Market Traders, Anambra State popularly known as Ogbogwu, on Tuesday issued 14 days ultimatum to Governor, Willie Obiano, to conduct an election to usher new leadership to pilot the affairs of the market.
They urged the state government to ensure that the election holds before the inauguration of the governor-elect, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo on March 17, 2022.
A spokesperson for the protesters Mr. Leo Ezievuo, at the State Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Market and Wealth Creation complex Awka, appealed to the governor to listen to their plight, adding that the drugs market is peaceful and devoid of violence for the conduct of such election.
He urged the governor-elect, Prof. Soludo, to talk to prevail on Chief Obiano, to do the needful by forming a new leadership at the Drug section of Onitsha market, to complement his plan agenda for Ndi-Anambra.
He also called for the intervention of the State Commissioner for Trade, Commerce, Market and Wealth Creation, Hon. Uchenna Okafor to enable them to elect their preferred leaders.
Ezievuo, said that election was needed as the traders were prepared for a peaceful process to elect their leaders.
They noted that those who are protesting against the election have no stake in the market and were sponsored by those who felt that the election might not favor them
The market leader, who frowned at the continued delay to conduct the election on the stipulated date, disclosed that some people indulged in fabricating lies against the Commissioner, Caretaker Chairman of the Ogbogwu Market, and traders in general.
He described those people as miscreants who never allowed peace to reign in the market, just as he averred that all the allegations that the market is in violence and traders are at loggerhead with each other are false alarm and unfounded.
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”We assured that our market is peaceful, and it is verifiable. We are tired of caretaker leadership. Traders want to elect their leaders by themselves. People who are protesting against the election are unknown to the market Union and entire traders. They are hired, thugs.”
“We campaigned for the in-coming Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Soludo when he visited Bridge- Head Market during the election campaign which he emerged winner with our votes in support.”
“Now, the coast is clear, the same people who absconded from the market during Soludo’s visit/ campaign tour wanted to reap from where they did not sow by blackmailing everybody in order to tag themselves best and stop the conduct of the long-awaited leadership election in Onitsha drug market.”
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Wealth Creation, Barrister Ike Samuel Chinedu, spoke on behalf of the Commissioner, Hon. Uche Okafor promised that the government would hasten the process of conducting the election.
He assure them that their demands would be made known to the governor as soon as possible.
