Okoye
Soludo, Commissioner's intervention in Ozomagana market crisis prevented bloodbath - APGA Chieftain
By Chinwe Nwacha, Onitsha
The prompt intervention of Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra state through his Commissioner for Commerce, Nomso Ebonwu, has prevented bloodbath at the controversial Ozomagana Building Materials market in Onitsha.
An All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA chieftain in Onitsha South, Izu Okoye, made this assertion while reacting to the intervention of the state government in the market crisis which he disclosed has lingered for about a year now.
According to him, "Traders in the market and adjoining markets at a time became fed up with the incessant arrest of the elected chairman of the market, Obiora Okoro and his executive members by Kayode Egbetokun (former IGP's) Special Investigation Unit, SIU, Force headquarters Abuja, now dissolved by IGP Tunji Disu over alleged corruption).
"The SIU team always stormed Ozomagana based on trumped up charges against Obiora because he refused to play ball. He refused to re write and sign a 50 year lease agreement that has earlier been sealed. In a bid to intimidate him to rewrite and sign it, he has severally been arrested and detained in Abuja by the SIU.
"When the SIU that was working with a retired IGP they called Daddy, was dissolved by the new IGP, Disu, three members of Modebe family that include a lady, started using the Legal Department, Force headquarters Abuja against Obiora and has detained him three times prior to the intervention of the state government.
"The government intervention now has saved the situation and renewed hope on us, the traders that are being intimidated, assaulted and extorted by the police from Abuja, because we have said enough of this police arrest and intimidation.
"There would have been a show down between us and the police from Abuja on one hand and between us and three members of Modebe Enterprises that include a lady as majority of the Modebe family is against the illegal activities of the few members of Modebe e Enterprises Ltd.
"So we thanked Soludo for his intervention, the Commerce Commissioner remains the best among all that have been appointed to pilot the affairs of traders since Soludo came on board as governor. The commissioner's immediate intervention and subsequent order stopping all works at Ozomagana market shows he is a no nonsense man.
"How can an elected chairman, Obiora Okoro who has no skeleton in his cupboard be removed in office because he refused to re write and sign a lease agreement on plazas in the market that have earlier been signed and sealed by both parties of Modebe Enterprises Ltd and Ozomagana traders led by Obiora.
"Obiora as chairman when traders were paying stallage fee of #12,500 per year for each trader, he paid #7.5million to government, the caretaker committee that they removed Obiora and installed generated #20million something and paid to government #900,000. The rest was used in settling Abuja police by the caretaker against Obiora, what a shame.
"When SPAD, Evaris Uba said Obiora was owing government IGR and that was why he was removed, Chike who was in charge of IGR in the state proved Uba wrong saying that Obiora was not owing any debt to government. ASMATA then demanded for the receipts of payment from Obiora and he, (Obiora), furnished ASMATA with the receipts of the payment and the issue ended.
"The issue is that when you want to hang a dog you give it a bad name, because Obiora refused to play ball, they removed him as chairman and continued to intimidate him until now that the state government has wadded into the matter, God will keep Soludo and the Commissioner, Ebonwu for the traders.
"Other market chairmen that include, Provision market Ochanja, (Sunday Okechukwu who built the plaza is being seriously intimidated), Iweka Electronics, Ezemekwe, among others are having similar crisis over refusal to sign a new lease agreement after they have signed the earlier one that is genuine one," I plead to Soludo to also extend his hands of fellowship to those chairmen," Okoye pleaded
