By John Ugo, Awka
The High Court Atani in Ogbaru local government area of Anambra’ State presided over by Justice Alexious Okuma will on 21st September, 2022 deliver judgment in the suit against the exclusion of none indigenes of the state from contesting for the position of chairmanship in all the markets in the state.
Mr. Onu Lawrence, a business man, had filed a suit against the Incorporated Trustees of Electronic Dealers Association, Onitsha, the Incorporated Trustees of Anambra State Amalgamated Traders Association (ASAMATA), Anambra State Government and others before the court, to challenge his prevention from contesting for the chairmanship of electronic dealers association in Onitsha.
He has asked the court to enforce his fundamental human rights as a citizen of Nigeria to contest for the position of chairman in the market.
Onu also wants the court to determine whether it is right to deny him the right to contest for the position of a chairman of a market he contributed to build, simply because he is not from Anambra state.
He prayed the court to determine whether the constitution of the market and that of the federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended allows such exclusion and denial.
Other reliefs sought by the applicant/plaintiff include, perpetual orders restraining the respondents and their agents from interfering in the affairs and management of the markets,especially, in the election of executives.
According to him, that whether the market being a private establishment, the State Government, ASAMATA or other person or persons can not decide who manages the market.
He also seeks for an an order that all elections in the market shall be conducted according to the constitution of electronic dealers association and an award of N5 million as damages among others prayers.
Justice Alexious Okuma gave date for the ruling on 21st September after all the parties had adopted their written addresses.
Counsel to the applicant Barr. Emmanuel Ezemanari said he is expecting a favourable judgment for his client because the Constitution of the country does not envisage such exclusion.
According to him, section 42 of the Nigeria constitution, does not allow for such exclusion, because it violates his client’s fundamental rights as a citizen.
He said they are simply in the court for the honourable court to determine if the state government, ASAMATA , Association of Electronic Dealers Association Onitsha and others can actually suspend one from his fundamental human rights of contesting for a position of his choice in a market, simply because he is not an indigent of Anambra state.”
He stated that the market was built under the leadership of an Imo state man from Akokwa and he was chairman for years and after him another lmo state man was chairman for years.
“The second respondent who is the current chairman of the market has been repeating this exclusion, whenever they want to conduct election in the market , those that are not from Anambra are excluded from contesting for chairmanship position.
“Members of the market had contributed money to build the market. The man that constructed the market is from Imo State and was chairman for years and another from Imo state was chairman for years.”
“When the present chairman came in, he started playing games, excluding none indigenes,saying that Anambra State Government and ASAMATA have passed a resolution that non indigene cannot head any market in Anambra.The market was individual efforts and government never contributed anything to its building. They do not have the right to decide the leadership.”
He added that,”the incumbent chairman said that a non indigene cannot contest and we want the court to decide and interpret the Constitution of the market and that of federal republic if Nigeria.”
