Obiano Disbands Market Union, Seals Office In Onitsha
The leadership crisis rocking Anambra State markets took a new dimension as the state government disbanded the Amalgamated Markets Traders Association of Anambra State, (AMATAS) and directed the newly-constituted Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association (ASMATA) to replace it and take over the office premises in Onitsha.
Dr. Willie Obiano Executive Governor Anambra state
The Commissioner for Trade, Commerce and Wealth Creation, Dr. Christian Madubuko, yesterday 15th July 2019, led ASMATA leaders and armed security agents to take over the ‘Traders House’ built by the former leadership of AMATAS, located at Modebe Street, Onitsha.
The commissioner, who supervised the Forceful take over of the building ordered the removal of all insignias, inscriptions in and outside the building and photographs of the former President-General of AMATAS , who is also a former Commissioner of Trade and Commerce in the State, and replace them with the insignias of ASMATA.
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While addressing newsmen in one of the large conference rooms after gaining entry to the ‘Traders House’, Dr. Madubuko said he was personally asked by Governor Willie Obiano to recover the Traders House for the traders in the state, following some alleged illegal practices being perpetrated by the leadership of the disbanded AMATAS.
Madubuko who was flanked by the President-General of ASMATA, Chief Ikechukwu Ekwegbalu, and other leaders of the markets in the state said: “Today is a special day for the traders; it is a freedom day for the Anambra State traders who have for the past ten years been under the bondage of AMATA.”
“The leadership of AMATAS was dissolved and they insisted that they will without the consent of the state government continue to operate; we earlier agreed with its former President- General, Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo that once we are ready to take over the Traders House, that Chief Vincent Ifeme should hand over all the keys to us, but as you can see since we came here, I have called and sent text messages to both men, without any response from them, hence the decision to break into the house.”
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Dr.-Christian-Madubuko, The Commissioner for Trade, Commerce and Wealth Creation
Speaking further, the commissioner said, “The Traders’ land was bought and built-on by the traders, and they should not be denied entry into the house because there is a change of their leadership; the leadership of former AMATAS has been accusing my office of collecting levies, and they have been writing all sorts of deceptive memos and letters to the governor against me, and also claiming that I wanted to impose a leader on the traders; the governor knows what am capable of doing and ignored them, because their allegations lack substance.”
The Commissioner went ahead to accuse the embattled Union’s Leadership of Corrupt practices like forgery and illegal levy collection.
He said,“Today as you can see, we have recovered all sorts of fake receipts and letters they forged with the name of the Secretary to the State Government, and the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Primus Odili; we are taking the cartons of the receipts and all the forged letters to Awka Government House to show the governor and from there, we will know how much they have defrauded the state government.”
“Sincerely speaking, what we have discovered in this house are enormous, you know that some people have been saying that being an executive member of AMATAS is like having an oil well, and I have seen it today and confirmed that their claim is correct. A lot of fraud has gone through this house against the state; the traders and customers coming to buy from the state, all have been defrauded.”
”AMATAS as they claim, is a registered body with the Corporate Affairs Commission but I’m not aware of that claim, but if their claim is correct, they are free to operate and have their meeting anywhere but they cannot operate as a body leading the traders in Anambra state.”
In his speech, President General of ASMATA, Chief Ekwegbalu, promised to rule with the fear of God, to be transparent and to carry the traders along in all his activities.
However,we spoke with a reliable source who spoke to us in anonymity,he said that trouble started for AMATAS when they wanted to hold a fresh election.
“They wanted to have their election, but the state Govt had plans of installing a transition committee before the election will be held, which didn’t go down well with the executives of AMATAS. When the state Government insisted on having their way, AMATAS sued the state Govt”.
Speaking Further, our source said,” The State Govt dubiously formed ASMATA which has not been registered with Co-operate affairs Commission and banned AMATAS that has been registered, from operating. Then yesterday , the state Govt forcefully took over the AMATAS office in Onitsha”.
Anaedonline.com spoke with another market stakeholder to get his opinion about the development, he said,” yes, AMATAS has been dissolved. They claim to be non-governmental so the Government made sure they are expelled from Government-owned markets.”
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