ASMATA’s Patron Backs Once A Month Prayer In Anambra Markets

ASMATA’s Patron Backs Once A Month Prayer In Anambra Markets
-Rallies support for Ekwegbalu’s Market Reforms

Renowned businessman, industrialist, sports entrepreneur and politician, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka (Ogilisi Igbo) who is one of the patrons of Anambra State Market Amalgamated Traders Association (ASMATA) has thrown his weight behind the ban of daily prayers with introduction of general prayers once a month in all the Markets in Anambra.
ASMATA describes it as a welcome development, as it is a right step in the right direction.

Recall that the President General of ASMATA, Ikechukwu Ekwegbalu announced the new order of prayers in the Markets across Anambra State during a meeting with Chairmen and Secretaries of all the Markets that constitute the umbrella body of ASMATA.
According to Ekwegbalu, henceforth, prayer has to be done once a month, from 7am -10am as against the daily or weekly prayers which hitherto thrived in the Markets.

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Declaring his total support for the directive, Ezeonwuka observed that the market prayers is not only time consuming which irritates and frustrates visiting traders, but also constitute noise pollution and other elements of nuisance in the system that scare away customers visiting the market from other parts of Nigeria and Africa in general.

“Market daily prayer is a fallacy” he began rhetorically, adding, “the best form of prayer is to work hard and to be honest. To work is to pray. You are as good as praying when you are working tirelessly. The time channelled to prayer is better channeled towards clearing and cleaning the Market environment. Cleanliness is next to godliness. These traders don’t know this, that is why they spend much time on prayers and end up scaring those willing to patronize their businesses away.”

“What I am saying is that market prayer on daily basis or weekly is harming the economy of Anambra State because a lot of people who normally come to Onitsha to do businesses have diverted to other places owing to the fact that their schedule doesn’t tally with the system of things in our markets. If you budget two hours for a trip and end up spending five hours, won’t you be irritated and frustrated? Won’t you find an alternative? Market prayer get people irritated and frustrated out of Onitsha and the effort to reverse it to once a month has to be supported.”

The ASMATA patron said that investigation has shown that those that come to Onitsha to buy or sell goods are happy with the sanity introduced on market prayers, pointing out that investigation showed that there is joy among those that frequent Onitsha market from Asaba, Agbor, Warri, Abakaliki, Enugu Nsukka, Benue, Kogi and the rest of them following the news that henceforth, prayer can only be conducted once in a month in the Markets across Anambra State.

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He commended Ekwegbalu for the reforms he is carrying out in the Anambra Market system, lamenting that Markets which is one of the pride points of Anambra State  have been badly mismanaged by traders who were only interested in milking the revenue of the State, thereby making the Market system look like a curse instead of a blessing.

While assuring ASMATA of the unflinching support of the patrons, he added “I thank the ASMATA boss on the good works he is doing in bringing back the lost glory associated with the markets as a life and business system in Anambra State.”
”Let me also commend the traders for the support given to ASMATA so far. I want them to maintain that support so that the union will achieve the set goal handed over to it by the State Government for the overall interest of the State”.

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