Maduako Igbokwe l Wednesday, August 3, 2022
ONITSHA, Anambra – Tension is brewing at the Electronic Dealers Association Onitsha EDAO, Anambra State as traders have rejected the caretakers committee put in place by government to run affairs of the market .
The market executives had constituted Electoral Committee to conduct election for the various positions in the market, based on existing constitution before government stopped it and constituted a caretaker committee.
The inauguration of the committee has thrown the market into confusion because members claimed it contravenes their constitution. They also said that what they need is elected executives and not caretakers committee to run the affairs of the market .
Some of the stakeholders in the market who spoke on the issue said what government has done is like throwing bomb into a peaceful environment.
Board of Trustees member of the market, Chief Ben Anyawu , said the traders are not happy with the government appointment of caretakers committee.
According to him, the tenure of the sacked executive expired 13th, July 2022 and that they are expecting election in the market which is the normal thing .
“After concluding all arrangements for the conduct of election, candidate have paid their required money and screened the next we heard was that government does not want election to be conducted in any Anambra market .
They inaugurated care take committee on 29th of July in Awka state capital without knowledge of members of the market. The caretaker committee was unveiled on 2nd of August 2022 without information and we thought they will present them to market on Wednesday being prayer meeting day but they did not . On Tuesday when the former president unveiled the interim executives, many people were locked outside the market around 8am. The matter is still in the court and I don’t know what the government tend to gain ” he said .
Also speaking the immediate past deputy president of the market Chukwubuike Kama said that court had given order that there should be status quo anti in the market pending the determination of the suit.
He expressed worries over government failure to obey court order, only to impose caretaker committee on the market .
According to him, the immediate chairman of the market had constituted Electoral committee and called for those with interest to write application with specific money and “they have done that”.
” I’am one of those who indicated interest and I want to run for the chairmanship position. Fee for chairmanship position is N300,000, Secretary, financial Secretary, and treasurer are N150,000 while other positions are N100,000.
“The executive had written to government, civil society, police and others to come and observe the election .This is to ensure that the election is free, fair and peaceful. While waiting for them ,the Anambra State Market Amalgamated Traders Association AMATA wrote us that they want to put caretakers in place.
“This is a private market and government has no investment in it . Our constitution does not give room for caretakers committee. Presently, we are owing banks N300 million and we are trying to see how we can pay it and some body is imposing caretakers committee on us. It is not good,”he said.
He appealed to the governor of the state Prof. Charles Soludo to immediately intervene and save the market from avoidable crisis, noting that bringing caretakers committee to the market was enough to ignite serious crisis because members do not want it
The immediate past provost general ,who want to contest for public relations officer of the market ,Ifechi Emmanuel Anozie said government cannot impose caretaker committee on the market because it did not contribute money to the building of the market .
“We built the market without any help from the government and the government has no right to tell us who will be our leaders. Government has set this market on fire by this very act” he said .
According to him, every body in the market wants election and not caretakers committee, noting that the imposition of caretakers committee on members will lead to serious implosion.
” I urged the governor to dissolve the caretaker committee immediately and fix date for the election in the market ” he said. The new interim government Chairman of EDAO Mr Ifeanyi Egwuenu when contacted said that he was not in the mode to talk to the press.
