A chieftain of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and removed President-General of Bridgehead Market, Onitsha, Mr. Sunday Obinze, has indicated his intention to drag the Anambra State Government to Court if it fails to reinstate him to his position.
In a letter to the Anambra State Government, through the Attorney General, Prof.S.N. Ifeme, Obinze’s counsel, Eto Okoye of Iloegbune Okoye Chambers, which served a pre-action notice and demanded for the immediate reinstatement of Obinze within one week of receiving the letter.
But in the event the State Government failed to reinstate Obinze, they would have no option than to head to Court after the expiration of the pre-action notice to seek for his reinstatement.
In the letter, Okoye said Obinze who is an APGA chieftain both in Nando, Anambra East Local Government Area and Iyiowa, Odekpe, Ogbaru Local Government Area of the State was unlawfully removed from office by the former Commissioner for Trade and Commerce, Dr. Obinna Ngonadi, who has since been dropped by the Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.
Obinze, according to Okoye, was elected on August 25, 2021 and his tenure was to run for four years which will terminate on August 2025.
The legal practitioner noted that the State Government did not only give approval for the election but also went ahead to supervise the conduct of the election.
But when Dr. Ngonadi was made the Commissioner in charge of markets in the State, he allegedly started making huge financial demands from Mr. Obinze who was unable to meet with the demands.
This led to the threats by Ngonadi to remove Obinze from office, a threat which he carried out on September 6, 2022, when he wrote Obinze informing him of his removal.
In his place a Caretaker Committee led by Chinedu Ezenwike as chairman was constituted after granting Ngonadi’s financial demands.
Said Okoye: “It is shameful that
Dr. Ngonadi, an agent of the State government motivated by filty lucre would sack a duly elected leadership and replace same with a Caretaker Committee without any just cause. It is even more horrible when this sacked leadership was elected in an election supervised and approved by the Anambra State Government.”
He said the Anambra State Government affirmed the election and recognition of the leadership of Obinze, a copy of which was attached in the pre-action notice.
The lawyer said Dr. Ngonadi was sacked due to the complaints against him made to several quarters, including the Anambra State Government. Afterwards the government is unwilling to reverse or at least repair the damages done by Ngonadi.
“We are therefore by this letter demanding that the Anambra State Government reinstates Mr. Sunday Obinze as the lawfully elected President -General of the Bridgehead Market Traders Association within seven days from this letter,” said Okoye.
But if the State Government fails to right the wrongs done to Obinze, the letter equally serves as pre-action notice as they would approach the law court to seek for his reinstatement.
