ByJulie Sylvia Onitsha
Traders under the aegis of the Old Aguata Union, (OAU) in Anambra State, have commended Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo (CFR) for the demolition of structures built on water ways and sack of leaders of 32 flawed markets in the State.
The traders drawn from 45 communities in Aguata also applauded Governor Soludo for the appointment of highly qualified persons to various offices as Commissioners and Special Assistants especially Hon. Obinna Ngonadi, Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, describing his appointment as a round peg in a round hole.
In a press release signed by the chairman of the traders, Chief Peter Okala, and secretary, Mike Okafor, the group also known as ‘Nzukora,’ hinted that traders had desired and demanded from successive administrations to have this important Ministry of Commerce and Industry, manned by a known trader, like Hon. Obinna Ngoadi.
“The Governor did not only yield to the desires and demands of traders but brought someone with a strong background in trading and importation, someone that is into manufacturing of goods and services in Anambra State, in the person of the first son of a renowned manufacturer who has mentored the ordinary trader in Anambra State and beyond to become importers of goods from many parts of the world”.
“Traders in Anambra State view the appointment of Hon.Obinna Ngonadi as the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, as not only a reward to hard work of his father, Chief Humphrey Ngonadi, but an encouragement /honor to all traders both living and dead which posterity would uphold”.
They expressed optimism that in no distant time the Commissioner would record giant strides in reshaping Anambra markets leadership which has before now been eaten up by clanish selection of mediocres as its leaders at all levels.
The traders cited the relocation of Patient Medicine Dealers Association to a permanent site at Oba by Mr. Governor as a welcomed development and urged him to beam his search light on the activities of some market leaders towards government Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) especially at Bridge head market.
According to them, “the hundreds of millions of Naira acuring to the government of Anambra State from stallage fees allegedly diverted in active connivance with the former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Wealth Creation, has been bursted by Dr Obinna Ngonadi.”
“It is also on record that executive members of various unions under the Bridge Head Market purchased their positions with huge sums of money during their market unit flawed elections”.
“Leadership of the Bridgehead market in collaboration with the former Commissioner for Trade, Commence and Wealth Creation, Hon. Uchenna Okafor, and cohorts disobeyed court order and conducted flawed election even as the case is still pending in court”.
“We, Nzukora, only wish to thank Mr Governor for recognizing traders more than every other successive administration and the demolition of structures blocking water channels and ask Mr Governor to go ahead as having a liveable and prosperous state must always come with a price saying that by the time Mr Governor would have finished with his development plans, Ndi Anambra would have looked back and see that there was no governor like him.”
“Nzukora on behalf of all the traders in Anambra State wish to send our condolences to Mr Governor for the unwarranted and gruesome murder in cold blood by hoodlums in what ever guise of both indegenes and non indigenes of Anambra State in the recent past and are consoled that the security architecture of Mr Governor is working out at last and calmness has returned.”
