APGA rival group opposing Soludo's leadership sponsors Electronics market protest - Obi
By Chinwe Nwacha, Onitsha
The Chairman of the Electronics International Market Onitsha, Anambra state, Chief Dona Obi, Sunday, accused rival group in the market of sponsoring the recent protest in the market even as he reaffirmed the unalloyed support of the traders in the market come the November 8 gubernatorial election.
Obi while reacting to the protest in his office, condemned in strong terms the activities of some bad elements he said were led by Chris Ogunus and Chijioke Okafor, to protest against the leadership of the market and the state government.
He added that the protest was a kangaroo one as none of the trade was in support of it, stating that, "There was no protest actually, just that a trader of the market and some others who came from outside the market, with some placards protest against the state government and the leadership of the market.
"So when the management of the market and some people discovered what was happening, they rushed to them, dislodged them with the help of our peace committee members.
"They ran away immediately they were dislodged because we actually noticed that it was a sponsored programme, they were sponsored by some people who are against the APGA government to disrupt the activities in the market and to also create tension in the coming gubernatorial election.
"We also noticed that one of those people sponsoring them is a trader of the market but was against the Soludo led administration. He is also one of those that said we are being over charged on Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, thereby wants to use these people to cause problem in the market but thank God our peace committee intervened and resolved the issue.
"As it implies, most of the traders in the market are 100 per cent in support of Governor Charles Soludo second tenure bid based on many things they have benefitted from this present administration. A lot of us are beneficiaries of good governance of Governor Soludo.
"The infrastructural development generally, the roads, the free medical care and the traders are happy that our market is one of the beneficiaries of the one youth two skills, all these things give them joy.
"Nobody will convince the traders of electronics market that Governor Soludo will not go for second tenure, infact, people are of the opinion that if third tenure is possible that Governor Soludo will equally go, because traders are saying that they have not seen a governor that has performed as Soludo is doing.
"Most of our customers come to market now to buy goods, there is no more fear of hoodlums attacking them, they come and go freely without any worry.
"We believe that the governor is making judicious use of the IGR being paid, so we are not against paying to the government, we are in support of them despite this group of people that claimed to have come under the auspices of our market which is not true.
"As the market leader, I have called some of them I saw and warned them to desist from disturbing the peace of the market and one of them has exposed themselves by saying that they were being sponsored by some people".Obi stated.
In his contribution, One of the Peace Committee members of the market, Chief Nelson Maduakonam while reacting, corroborated with the view of the chairman that those protesters are not the market traders but were sponsored by the opposition of APGA led government stating that the market is behind Soludo.
Recall that the protesters through their spokespersons, Chris Ogunus and Chijioke Okafor, during the said protest condemned what they described as arbitrary IGR increment especially the stallage levy from #17,500 to #32,500.
