Anambra: Onitsha South Mayor reinstates sacked Market Exco

By Julie Sylvia, Onitsha

The Mayor of Onitsha South Local Government Area, Anambra State, Hon.Emeka Orji, has allegedly reinstated sacked executives of Ozomagala Market Building Materials Traders Association led by Chief Obiora Okoro .

It was gathered that the executives were sacked by the Special Adviser, (SPAD), to Governor Charles Soludo on Trade and Market, Chief Evaristus Ubah over alleged embezzlement of funds.

Speaking while clearing the air on the alleged embezzlement and dissolution of duly elected officers, the Mayor stated that “Upon receipt of complaints on the issue, I called on Mr Chike Ozorji, Market coordinator of Anambra Internal Revenue Service’, (AIRS) and Chief Eric Uwaoma, the Chairman of Onitsha South Street Traders Association who is also the Chairman of Conflict Resolution Committee, ASMATA, they exonerated the man, and freed him from any embezzlement /indebtedness.

“With the presentation of their document which shows that the Chairman did not embezzle any fund, and made his payments as at and when due, and having confirmed from the appropriate authorities in charge of funds /revenue generation, I further noticed that Council regulator of Market was completely sidelined.

“If there is any other issue with him, let them sort it out while the man continues his leadership role pending the determination of the substantive suit since they have taken the matter to court”

” I accept superior and Supervisory role of state but Markets are under local government authority as per 4th schedule and Anambra state Local government Administration law 2024. If there is any petition, it supposed to be brought to local government to look into and not dissolution of duly elected executive from SPAD Trades and markets, sitting in Awka”,Orji posited.

In an interview after the meeting at the market hall, the reinstated Chairman of Ozomagala Building Materials Onitsha, Chief Obiora Okoro stated that their meeting was to discuss on their ongoing project, the renovation of their Plazas and the way forward even as he lauded the Mayor for coming to their rescue by restoring peace in the market.

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He said” Thank God for the owners of the Plaza that came into the matter, the Onitsha South council Mayor who came to our market and restored peace, that is why we were here, meeting again, before now, you cannot see us meeting, it would be fighting up and down, from this police station to another, but the Mayor has stopped these things

“We are renovating our market according to the agreement between us and the landlord of this plaza(Modebe family) who instructed that their property should be renovated because if we allow another person to do it, most of us would not be able to afford the price of the shops after renovation, that was why we decided to do it ourselves,” he explained.

The reinstated market boss recalled that, “This problem started when our market wanted to be handed over to the developers but we tried every possible means to provide the money for kola to them instead of handing it over to the developers. They also mandated us to pay #70million under one week before they can approve for the renovation.

“It was then we realized that it’s like they wanted to sack us, we ran around as one family, provided it with the help of few of our union members as loan to pay 10 per cent and paid to the landlord. Now to renovate the plaza was when enemity came in.

“We also agreed with the landlord that the renovation would be between eight to nine months, if not they would take it back but now the thing is going to one year. This opposition when I was collecting #180,000 for each shop to pay for our lease, they told me to raise it to #500.000 instead of #180.000 but I disagreed and insisted on collecting #180.000 which was what we got after dividing the number of shops by the supposed payment amount. They all later agreed.

“On 26 May, last month, the opposition went to Awka, got an approval that I am no longer the chairman of the market, that I didn’t pay tax but I thank God that those we paid to, Chiefs Ozorji and Uwaoma confirmed that I paid taxes, that was the reason Mayor Orji after verification, asked of the offence I committed that led to the sack but no answer was provided and the Chairman directed me to go back and put things in order,” he further disclosed.

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The Financial Secretary of the market, Chief Uba Benjamin frowned at the incident stating that the chairman is trust worthy and lamented that they refused to look into the account he presented with data and account details, lamenting that they ignored him and went to ASMATA for complaint where they were advised to go and restore peace in the market.

The Former Chairman of the Union, Chief Ferdinand Ifezuo, in his contribution stated that, “The reason for the petition against the Chairman was the alleged embezzlement, but my stand is that if you alleged that someone embezzled funds, you have to give way for the Union to investigate. ASMATA personnel came here, counted the number of shops, concluded that no sign of embezzlement was seen.

“They have gone to so many places, filed the matter in court but couldn’t allow the court to deliver their judgement, they continue running from pillar to post, the #180.000 they are pointing at, we have the records of people that paid, we know how much realized, how much was spent so far and the balance.

Earlier, the former secretary of the market, Chief Hyacinth Obasi disclosed that these oppositions are those that in collaboration looked for buyer/s to buy their plaza while the union wanted to pay for the lease of the plaza but they hit the rock.

He said, “We are also scared because if they had succeeded in their plan of sacking the chairman and taking over, they might sell the plaza because one of them is with our lease document of the plaza, the bone of contention is who would be in control of this latest development (renovation of the plaza).

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“Secondly, the people present at the meeting are the direct tenants of Modebe family, the shop owners who contributed #180.000 each that was paid for the lease while these oppositions don’t have shops in Ozomagala, they pay to shop owners.

“The present executives led by Obiora Okoro has elapsed their tenure but due to their selfless effort to retain the plaza, ensure no increase in rent/ lease, coupled with the fact that they secured the plaza for us which is the cheapest plaza among all the Plazas around this place owned by Modebe family, they maintained their grip of the plaza.

“Since they got it without their personal attachment, it made us to return them unopposed to continue on the development of the plaza and it was one of these oppositions, Okey Mojekwu that requested for the vote of confidence, moved the motion that brought the executive back, saying that they did very well in retaining the plaza. It is the same person that is fighting them.

When Mr Tochukwu Umeh, the new caretaker committee chairman was contacted, the former secretary of the market, Mr Obiekwe Patrick, who was with him stated that he, the secretary was among the elected executive on May 7, 2019 which expired in 2023.

According to him,”During that time, we have fracas with Mr Obiora Okoro, the executive and members of the Union that led to so many petitions to the office of SPAD and they were into it with other petitions from other people and suspended Chief Obiora Okoro and appointed an interim caretaker committee until the investigation was over.

“On March 27,2024 after the investigation, they find Obiora Okoro wanting and he was removed finally and installed Mr Tochukwu Umeh as the substantive caretaker of the Union”, he revealed further