Traders in Anambra State under the aegis of Anambra Traders’ Welfare Association ( ATWA), have passionately appealed to the Executive Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to reinstate sacked market leaders in the state to ensure peace and stability.
The group which comprises importers, industrialists and artisans and other traders on emerging from their quarterly meeting held in GRA Onitsha, Anambra State, spoke through their Chairman, Mr. Boniface Ibeamaka, pleading with the governor to sheath his sword.
Flanked by his Secretary, Nze Fidelis Nwachubaku, said that those who want those market leaders to be sacked were the people who do not wish his new administration well.
He alleged that they are the same people who were flooding the office of the Commissioner of Commerce with Ghana must go seeking to head one Market group or the other through the back door.
He described such action as not only unjust but an illegality which is capable of destroying the good programme of Prof Soludo’s administration.
“We are not comfortable with this development in Anambra State markets. What does someone gain in instigating trouble where there is no trouble? Leadership is not by force. If people elects you, you lead them not putting confusion and troubles in the markets,” the traders cried out.
They said they were not sure that this was not character of Governor Soludo they know, rather the handiwork of sycophants and people who want to constitue themselves as “cabals in Anambra markets.
“who have infiltrated into this new government. The most annoying aspect of it is that traders in those various markets across the state are enjoying peace and these markets leaders are performing well when some elements connived and threw spanner in the works,” they said.
Continuing, “some of us here are importers. We know how each market leadership performs. Some of these market leaders have gone out of their way to uplift their market with facilities that will help improve the life of traders. The Ogbaru Main Market was prevented from being razed by fire through the equipment and amenities Chief Ochiogu provided in the market. Right now, he is building ultra modern conveniences in the market. But most importantly he won his election conducted by ASMATA and supervised by the Ministry of Commerce. How can this type of leader be sacked except they want to create crisis in the market.”
Mr. Ibeamaka reiterated the urgent need to reinstate the sacked market leaders before hoodlums hijack the situation and begin to trigger crisis in the markets in the state, contending that since Oseokwodu, Ogbaru Main Market and other markets are peaceful, why create crisis in the markets.
He appealed to Governor Soludo to ignore those he labelled as “cabals who he allegedly said were seeking for political power in the markets to enrich themselves.
