Tension in Onitsha market as crisis between tools and allied dealers, chain/motor saw dealers deepens

www.odogwublog.com reports that palpable tension continued today at Tools and Allied section of Onitsha Bridge-head market, following the escalation of crisis between the executive members of Tools and Allied Dealers Union, ATDU on one side, the executive members of Chain Saw and Allied Products Dealers Association and Motor Saw and Allied Dealers Association on the other side.

As at the time of filing this report yesterday, the Chain Saw and Allied Products Dealers Association and Motor Saw and Allied Dealers Association allegedly went into hiding following alleged threats to their lives by the ATDU executive.

Speaking to newsmen on phone from their hideout, Chairman of Chain Saw Dealers, Livinus Umeh and his Motor Saw counterpart, Onyemauche Nwankwo alleged that the police have so compromised that all their complaints against the clandestine activities of ATDU executive were no longer investigated.

Umeh and Nwankwo noted that they decided to abandon their shops and go into hiding because they longer have sense of protection from the police, since all their previous complaints to the police did not properly handled, adding that from the look of things, even if their opponents decide to take their lives, there would be no barrier as the security of their lives and properties are no longer guaranteed.
However, the out-going Chairman of ATDU, Chief Emmanuel Anagor described the allegation that his executive were threatening the lives of the other associations executive members as a false alarm, adding that himself was not even in the market as at the time of filing this report, let alone threatening anybody.

Anagor also described the allegation as a ranting of those who do not have enough goods in their respective shops for sale, hence they resorted to cheap blackmail.

It would be recalled that the timely intervention of Police Area Commander for Onitsha,Yahaya Abubakar, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP, on Wednesday prevented possible bloodshed at Tools and Allied market  which is one of the 27 mini-market associations under the Bridge-head branch of Anambra Markets Amalgamated Traders Association, AMATAS, over the closure of the tools market.
  
The leadership of TADU had closed the market on Wednesday and conducted an election that ushered in a new set of eight-man executive that would take over the mantle of leadership from the out-going Chief Emmanuel Anagor-led executive of the union which had just completed its second tenure of four years each.

But while the election was on going at the Housing Estate Recreation Club, Fegge, the executive members of two other mini associations, Chain Saw and Allied Products Dealers Association and Motor Saw and Allied Dealers Association threatened to stage a war against the out-going Emma Anagor-led leadership for closing all the markets, including theirs for the election.

They first took their protest against the market closure to Fegge Divisional Police Headquarters, insisting that Chain Saw and Motor Saw dealers are independent association and autonomous from Tools and Allied dealers, but the DPO, Rabiu Garba persuaded them to sheathe their sword and tow the line of peace, but out of disappointment, they now took the matter to the Area Command Headquarters where Yahaya Abubakar told them to put their  complaints in writing.

After putting everything in writing and forwarded same to Abubakar, he now promised to commence investigations into the matter, with a view to forestalling such a development in future.

Confirming the receipt of the petition, Abubakar told newsmen in his office that he had warned both parties to maintain peace and tranquility, to avoid any possible break down of law and order or blood shed.

Speaking to newsmen on the petition written on their behalf by their legal counsel, Emmanuel Ezemenari, Chairman of Chain Saw, Livinus Umeh and Chairman of Motor Saw, Onyemauche Nwankwo, said as independent associations, the Tools dealers have no right to close all the markets because hey were conducting an election, adding that as a result of the closure for a whole day, the two associations had lost about N115 million.

However, in their separate reactions, the President of Bridge-head Markets Association, Chief Sunday Obinze and out-going chairman of the tools, Emma Anagor, dismissed their claims, saying that the two associations were not among the 27 mini associations under the Bridge-head market branch, neither were they recognized by the tools as  independent associations because both those dealing on tools and others dealing on chain saws and motor saws are sharing the same shops in one line within the market lines.

They said that any body or group could go to Corporate Affairs Commission and register whatever he liked but cannot be binding on the existing associations or unions.

Tension in Onitsha market as crisis between tools and allied dealers, chain/motor saw dealers deepens Tension in Onitsha market as crisis between tools and allied dealers, chain/motor saw dealers deepens  Reviewed by Unknown on Thursday, April 27, 2017 Rating: 5

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