We don’t want caretaker Committee, reinstate our leaders – traders tell Soludo

Traders of Ogbaru Main Market have told Governor Chukwuma Soludo to direct his Commissioner for Trade  and Commerce, Dr. Obinna Ngonadi to reverse the nullification of their popularly elected executives in the interest of peace, justice and fairness.

The traders spoke yesterday after a crucial meeting of stakeholders which was attended by Board of Trustees BoT, Patrons, sectional heads, past executives, line   Chairmen, women group in the Market and members of the present executives.

Speaking at the highly tensed up meeting the Chairman of the BoT, High Chief (Sir),  Sam Mendu, appealed to the Governor, the Commissioner and all others involved in removing democratic elected executives in the Market to desist from doing that and reverse it with immediate effect.

He appealed that they should respect the wish and fundamental rights of the traders who elected their leadeders which was held on  January 25, 2022 when they elected the leadership of  Ndubuisi Ochiogu.

He added that they obtained court injuction from a Court of competent jurisdiction which declared that status quo ante bellum be maintained.

 ” We know that Markets belong to Government but they have to follow due process and rule of law in whatever they are doing. And the due process here is to respect our wish that was the election and the ruling of the Court. We don’t want Caretaker”. Chief Mendu declared.

He said it is strange to sack  an elected executives and replace them with Caretaker Committee, saying that traders in the Market are not happy with the development.

  He further stated that  Government should swallow their pride and allow the elected executives to run  the  full course of their tenure.

Also speaking, the former Chairman of the Market and a member of BoT, Chief Eugene Nwaneke said, ” it is an irony that those who were at one time helmsmen of the market don’t want democracy to thrive” 

He lamented that Ochiogu who campaigned for Soludo at the risk of his life on the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), is being pushed away by members of All Progressives Congress APC and Young people’s Party (YPP).

In his own contribution, Chief Emmanuel Nwadibi, Chairman, sectional heads of the Market, said it is unfortunate that people who lost election on January 25, 2022 are being compensated with Caretaker Committee, while the actual winners are being pushed away.

An elder in the market, Chief Ernest Ibeanusi, lamented that some elements want to take the Market back to Egypt, when it was riddled with crisis and violence, saying that they would not go with them.

He asked the Governor to follow due process and rule of law and reverse all the illegal decisions and activities of his Commissioner for Commerce.
Mrs. Felicia Anikor, one of the sectional heads said since Ochiogu came to power there has been peace and tranquility in the market.

She said  traders like him more than  the past regimes, he has been working for them, providing them with water, light, fire fighting equipment, toilet and there is  no stealing and crisis in the market again.

The Chairman of all line Chairmen in the Market, Mr. Chinyelugo Maduka, said the election that brought Ochiogu was free and fair, stressing that all those who are angling for his position participated in the election and lost.

He questioned how would Soludo feel if after the 2023 presidential election, the new president nullifies his election, use Police, the Army and DSS to flush him out of of office without giving him opportunity to defend himself.

“That is exactly what is happening in our market. And that is why we have been calling on the Governor to reverse such obnoxious and oppressive decisions”.