By Praise Chinecherem
Traders in Anambra State urged Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, to reinstate the former Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Hon. Obinna Ngonadi, to enable him complete his good work which the successive started and which successive administrations were not able to do.
The traders, who operate under the platform of Concerned Anambra Traders, led by Patrick Okeke, hinted that there are not more than five persons in the State that have continued to cause crises in the markets in the State.
“They are just five people causing crises in the markets and they were among former market chairmen sacked by Anambra State Government over flawed election in their respective markets. Since their sack they continue to petition against Ngonadi, who is now the Commissioner for Industry.
“Because Ngonadi was able to detect them as those perpetuating crises in the markets and dealt with them. They continue to write fictitious petitions on daily basis using’ Anambra Elite Traderโs Forum, (AETF), as a platform. They have no stake at the market.
In their letter to the Governor captioned: โAppreciation For Quick Response To The Traders Clarion Callโ, signed by Chikeluba Odiche and Micheal Nwangwu, which they did as Soludo divided the former Commerce and Industry Ministry, into two, Commerce and Trade to be within the control of the Governor while that of Industry Ministry should be for Commissioner Ngonadi.
” They felt the Commissioner dealt with them and Commended Governor Soludo for giving the Commissioner another Ministry to manage, and that was the congratulatory message they sent to the Governor . They forget that the Governor knows them as enemies of progress and that was why they were sacked in their various markets and caretaker committee put in place as substitute.
“Those five that continue to petition are those sacked at Oseokwodu, Bridge head market, Ogbaru Relief market, where you have a native doctor, former secretary of Onitsha International Electronics market who for three years was on suspension, and Michael Nwangwu, that signed the Anambra Elites Traders’ Forum letter to Governor Soludo,” he stated
He said that their plea to Governor Soludo to reinstate the sacked leaders was laughable as their intention was to perpetuate market crises as they never expected that government would detect them and sack them, adding that peace has been restored with the appointment of caretaker committees pending when an election woould be conducted in the various markets.
“Former Commissioner for Commerce, Trade, Market and Wealth Creation, Hon. Uchenna Okafor and the President of Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association, ASMATA, Chief Ikechukwu Ekwegbalu, should be held responsible for flawed elections in most markets.
“It was sale of leadership positions to the highest biddders that was the result of flawed election in the markets. Ekwegbalu should be sacked and a competent leader put in place to move the market forward as he is an elder that should be playing advisory role, ” he stated.
“At Ochanja market, their is a petition writer whose stock in trade is petitioning for the fun of it and he goes by the name, ‘Worrior of the Most High God, he boasts that he is the owner of the market and as such, must be consulted for anybody to be in leadership there,” he further hinted.
He urged Governor Soludo to immediately reinstate Commissioner Ngonadi to the Commmerce and Trade Ministry to continue in his good work of sanitizing the markets.
