By Julie Sylvia, Onitsha
A former chairman of the popular Onitsha Main Market, Anambra State, Hon. Nnamdi Unobuagha, who was elected and stayed for 2009 to 2011, disclosed Monday, that the incumbent chairman of the market, Chief Innocent Ezeoha, remained the greatest achiever among all appointed caretaker committee chairmen of the market.
Fielding questions from newsmen he reiterated that he is ready to defend his claim pointing out that Ezeoha, who is called Ezennia, by his admirers, has his achievements there for all to see even as he recalled that in his time as chairman he did very well like Ezennia is doing, as elected chairman.
“But since after then, it is only this caretaker committee chairman that has been doing very well among all the past caretaker committee chairmen that have headed main market. After Chief GUO Okeke, all leadership of main market were caretaker chairmen except me that came as elected chairman, and none of them completed their tenure except me,” he stated
Lamenting that Main market known which is known to be the largest market in West Africa has no parks as the parks have been converted to shops, he stated that the market is suppose to be a center of tourism .
“In Ezennia’s leadership, there is transparency, increase in revenue base. It was since the appointment of commissioners and so on that selfish interest started. During my time, Bida road, Sokoto, and Bright street were under my command. All over the world there is nothing like road trading but street trading.
“The problem started when Onitsha South Local Government started jurisdiction of this and that and areas of operation.During my time you dare not carry clothes along the road. Now some blocked the road claiming that they have met with Ocha brigade, or Central body, ASMATA, claiming that Main Market chairman, Ezennia, is a caretaker, that he has no power.
“Tables are mounted on the road, the chairman, Ezennia will be trying to make things right while they are stubbornly blocking the roads. All these things are clash of interest, chairman is trying his best but they have been a torn on his fresh. So the state government should be very careful in appointing those that are coming to work for us here at Main Market,” he pleaded.
He urged government to place her workers on salary basis to help sanitize the system so that defaulters among them will face the wrath of the law.
He advised those trading on the road to desist forthwith disclosing that some of those trading on the roads are spies who do not even pay levies to State government.
He advised those trading on the roads to get into the markets stating that there are scores of shops waiting for occupation or be chased out of the road for smooth flow of traffic especially at this Christmas celebration era.
He advised Ocha Brigade to leave Onitsha Main Market alone and look elsewhere for means of extorting the innocent, stating that Onitsha Main market has its own taskforce capable of clearing the blocked roads and lines.
