By Uzo Ugwunze
The Mayor of Ogbara Local Government Area, Anambra State, Hon. Kenneth Akwuobi, and the President General, PG, Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders’ Association, ASMATA, Hon. Humphrey Anuna, have vowed to eject traders of Electronics Spare Parts Traders Association, ESPATAS, Staying at Upper Iweka, to their permanent site at Ogbaru Local Government Area without further delay.
They made the vow while inaugurating the permanent building site with over 700 lock up shops owned by the members of ESPATAS that are being wasted sequel to the abandonment of the market for Upper Iweka by majority of the traders of ESPATAS.
According to the mayor of the Local Government area, Hon. Akwuobi, “Our first task is to bring the traders at Upper Iweka to the new market that cost a whopping sum of money to be built. I believe the ASMATA PG will assist in bringing them back to the permanent site, he has the power.
“We can’t be tenants permanently, this market is owned by these traders and they should trade here otherwise why did they build it. We shall think home, so we will get on them without delay to come to their market and trade,,” he vowed.
Reacting, the ASMATA PG, Anuna, said, “I cry for what I see in this market, it is only this market that was constructed without crises in Anambra State. Traders who are here for the inauguration of the market today are not up to 100.
I commend the immediate past executives for the construction of the market. This is a good place for trading with all facilities. We shall enact a law that all shops in this market must be opened daily.
“For those of them who abandoned the market for Upper Iweka, wait for us, you don’t oppose the good intensions of Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo who has made welfare of traders better than he met it,” he stated.
In his speech, the President General of Okpoko community, Chief Chimezie Osigwe, expressed satisfaction with the commissioning of the market and urged the traders to return to their market immediately to avoid the wrath of government visiting them.
He described the new market site as comfortable for trading and stressed the need for all to key into the state government policies and programs for rapid infrastructural development of the state.
Speaking, the chairman of the market, Chief Victor Azubuike, commended the Mayor of Ogbaru council area and ASMATA PG for their concern in the market lamenting that majority of the ESPATAS members still remain at Upper Iweka despite repeated warnings to come back to the permanent market site.
“Because they abandoned the permanent market site for Upper Iweka, armed robbers attack us both in broad day light and in the evening because we have no power supply to ward them off at night.
“We have over 700 lock up shops and our greatest problem is for the traders at Upper Iweka to be returned to this place. The ASMATA PG and council Mayor have assured us that they will sack them soonest,” he stated.
Recall that the inauguration was preceded by a special prayer session conducted by Evangelist Udoka Stephen Mbah of Ogbaru Anglican Diocese church of Pentecost, Okpoko.
In their various remarks, the Board of Trustees, (BOT) of the market that included, Stephen Orakwute-secretary, Chidi Iwuji-vice chairman and Mr. Sampson Umeh-chief provost, commended the ASMATA PG and Ogburu council mayor for pledging to intervene adding that the market has been abandoned since it was built by those at Upper Iweka.
