NNEWI TRADERS PROTEST NON-CONDUCT OF UNION ELECTION

NNEWI TRADERS PROTEST NON-CONDUCT OF UNION ELECTION

Members of the New Auto Motorcycle Spare Parts Association, NASPA, Nnewi, have accused the Anambra State Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Wealth Creation of frustrating their efforts to conduct elections into the market.

In two petitions submitted to Public Complaints Commission, the members under the aegis of Aspirants Forum of NASPA said the market had been without elected executive since August 2017.

The petition, signed by Oliver Uzodimma and Jonas Iloka, chairman and secretary of the forum respectively with 7 others, said they had purchased forms, and were screened and certified fit to stand for election but wondered why the said election has not been conducted.

They alleged that Obinna Okechukwu, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of NASPA, has been paying heavy sums of money to the ministry to perpetuate his stay in office and avoid the election.

The petitioners said the caretaker committee chairman, who was allegedly exploiting traders, was being shielded by the Commissioner, Dr Christian Madubuko, who extended his tenure for six months instead of three months.

The forum said that a duly elected chairman would not work against his members and wondered why the caretaker chairman, who was quizzed for the illegal collection was allowed to return to his position.

The traders said every stakeholder, who had intervened in the matter, including the traditional ruler of Nnewi, agreed that election should be conducted and wondered why Anambra State Government had refused it.

They urged the Federal Government through the PCC to intervene in the matter and save the over 20, 000 traders in the market from proxy leadership and extortion.

The Forum said: “What the caretaker chairman does is to use part of the money to induce and bribe the ministry of commerce and some stakeholders to extend his tenure which was supposed to be three months.

“We have been enduring the travails created by the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Dr Christian Madubuko, over activities with caretaker chairman against traders in Nnewi motorcycle market.

“Our members, who want to build or deck a block of shops are forced to pay the sum of N5 million using printed papers from the ministry with a threat to demolish the shops if they don’t pay.

“The commissioner claims his office is not aware of the illegal collection of levies and verification fees which runs into millions of naira.

“We are seriously demanding for an election so as to avert impunity and abnormalities in the market for the good of the people.”

But reacting, Okechukwu, the caretaker committee chairman, dismissed the allegations of the petitioners as frivolous; and claiming that they were a minority who were trying to stop the good work he was doing in the market. He said he was not opposed to the conduct of the election in the market whenever government was ready but insisted that there must be peace in the market before any election.