Insist On Duly Elected Exco
Traders and market women from Oseokwuodu (Ose) Market in the commercial town of Onitsha, Anambra State, in their large number on Thursday stormed the Government House Awka in peaceful protest against the move by Governor Charles Soludo to impose a caretaker leadership on them.
They said the governor’s action was in clear contravention and abuse of the rights of the traders and market women to chose their leaders which they had earlier done in a free, fair and credible election process held on February this year.
Soludo had in a statement by the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Dr Obinna Ngonadi, last week, dissolved the leaderships of thirty markets, adding that Oseokwuodu, Ogbaru Relief Market and others would have their newly elected officers disolved to pave way for constitution of caretaker committees.
The state government said that the affected markets had flawed election process, a claim the protesters faulted with proof of their credibility to chose the present executive.
They insisted that the election that produced the incumbent leadership was duly approved and monitored by officials of the state government and therefore stands.
The traders stormed the Government House Awka with placards of different inscriptions.
They also appealed to the governor not to dissolve their leadership, because according to them, elections into their offices were duly conducted on February 3, 2022 under the supervision of the state government, representatives of Anambra State Market and Traders Association (ASMATA) and security agencies.
President General of the Oseokwuodu Market, Mr. Anthony Onwuetiaka, lamented the move by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) led governement to nullify the election that led to the emergence of his executive barely three months into office without due consultation with them.
Onwuetiaka stated that his executive had contacted the commissioner to find out why their leadership which was to last for three years would be dissolved for no serious reason but was told that there were petitions against his them when indeed there was none.
“I requested for copies of the said petitions and the Honourable Commissioner could not provide any. I asked him why? He said maybe the aggrieved parties petitioned the governor directly. That is why we are here to tell our Governor that we have no issue in the market about the election. We don’t also need any caretaker committee. We are with the government and ever ready to discuss and partner them.”
They urged the state government to find an amicable settlement to the lingering impasse, stressing that they remain law abiding citizens who are willing to toe the path of peace and progress of the state and the new government in place.
The State Commissioner for Homelands Affairs, Mr Chikodi Anara, who was represented by Head, (Operations) in the Ministry, Dr Ezenduka Samuel, assured the protesters that their requests would be duly communicated to the governor for necessary action.
He commended the traders for conducting themselves in a peaceful and orderly manner.