By Kamsi Anayo, Onitsha
Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has been urged to beware of sycophants, hangers-on and praise-singers in his administration as he intensifies effort to move the state forward.
Sounding the note of warning on Saturday in Onitsha, Anambra State, the Chairman of a pro-traders organisation, Integrity Group, Chief Obinna Madu, urged the governor to be beware of those who roam the Government House for selfish interests.
“They pretend to be working for the governor but they are selfish individuals; they should allow the governor and his cabinet members to do their work.
The group also urged Soludo to ban town union associations responsible for crises in the markets.
“Seriously, Soludo should ban town union associations in markets like Enugu/Ebonyi, non indigenes association as they breed crises in markets.
“That was what Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano, wife of former Governor Willie Obiano, allowed which resulted in flawed market elections in the state also.”
He recalled that “what also marred Obiano’s administration was this association or town union of a thing where those from Omambala area, (Gov. Willie Obiano’s people), were more in government than any other area.
“Now the same thing wants to rear its ugly head again, ‘Aguata Traders Forum,’ has started and Soludo should discard it immediately to avoid sectionalism, he said.
He said, “The last election was conducted at Onitsha International Electronics Market in 2018 under former Commissioner for Trade, Commerce, Markets and Wealth Creation, Mr Christian Madubuko.
“When his succesor, Uchenna Okafor succeeded him, virtually all market elections were flawed, including the Bridgehead Market where the leadership with the assistance of Okafor, had severally disobeyed court order not to conduct election or appoint a caretaker committee pending the determination of a substantive suit still pending in an Onitsha High court.”
“Government should not hesitate in adding the Bridge head market among the flawed markets to serve as deterrent for those who disobey court order,”