We’ve mandate to recover market, restore peace in Anambra – Obi Ifediora
By polycarp ifeanyi
The Onitsha Main Market Caretaker Committee Secretary, Comrade Obi Barthlomew Ifediora has stated that the new administration in Anambra State led by Professor Charles Soludo during their official inauguration specified them areas to focus attention.
Fielding questions from newsmen in Onitsha, Comrade Ifediora who disclosed that Onitsha Main Market has 3 zonal structures said that Anambra State government told them to go back to the Market and prepare the Market for the 2023 election.
” Basically, this is a care-taker committee that has elapsed time and most importantly, we have a specification on what government asked us to do. We are going back to make sure if all things being equal to prepare everybody in the Market for the 2023 election.
We have 3 zonal structures in the Market, zone 1, zone 2, zone 3, and all these zones produces a Chairmen.
Currently, the Chairman of the Market is from zone 2, the former Market Chairman is from zone 1, definitely the next Chairman would come from zone 3.
So, the commissioner for Market and trade, Dr. Obinna Ngonadi told us that from now till the first quarter of next year, the Ministry of trade and Commerce would conduct election for the Market and not even the Market executives committee as people insinuates”
He further explained that government also mandated them to make sure that there is peace in the Market.
“On the part of the Governor, he told us to put structures in place in the Market and make sure that every revenue accruing to government is organised in such a way that it would go directly to government without nobody touching it.
“These are mandate they gave to us. Then, on our own, the issues bordering on zonal structures in the Market, we have settled it and moved into action. We made sure that we helped government to perfect their plans like store levy, peace restoration and making sure that every where is free from wastes”
The Civil society activist revealed that he had a vision to create legacies in the Market, saying: “When I was coming as one of the caretaker leaders, I had a vision that before our caretaker tenure elapse, I would install Solar lights, and CCTV camera in the Market for us to monitor every part of Main Market.
“But when I discussed it with the executives, they asked me where do I get Money to do it ? And told them, though, I am not the Chairman, but when there is will, the Money must still surely come because I have made up my mind to do it.”
He affirmed the indiscriminate building of Illegal structures inside the Market, recalling that when he came to Main Market in 1986, those species was a place where wares were packed before transferring to shops, even as he alleged that previous administration in the state allocated the spaces to developers who he said built shops and plazes.
” Onitsha Main Market has its own master plan. But the successive administrations in state have used developers to block every where with stores and plazas which many people who even occupied the plazas have now abandoned them and relocated to another place.
“If to say now that there is fire out brake but God forbid, how will fire fighting trucks get inside to rescue people’s wares. I could remember when they were building such structures, I was shouting, writing but they called me noise maker. And that is why Governor Soludo said that those illegal structures blocking space should be pulled down in order to reclaim the Market old glory. And when government makes such pronouncements, there is no option rather to abide by it” He posited !
