Onitsha market elders decry Obiano’s interference in market politics, warns of crisis
Considering what they described as undue interference in the internal democracy of Anambra market unions, markets elders in Anambra State, under the Anambra State Markets Elders Forum (ASMEF), have expressed concern over the state government’s penchant for removing democratically elected chairmen of markets.
The governor, Chief Willie Obiano also replaced the sacked elected officers with appointed caretaker committee members.
According to ASMEF, “Such an ugly development would not augur well for a healthy market environment because according to them, since Nigeria is presently practicing democracy, we should allow democracy to trickle down to other segments of the country, including markets and town unions”.
Chairman and chief scribe of the market elders, Dede Uzor A. Uzor and Cyprian Mgbemena, respectively, said institutionalising care-taker management system in the markets was an old pattern of leadership which should not be encouraged by individuals or government itself.
They argued that such act is capable of plunging the markets into endless crisis as those appointees do not understand the workings of the market leadership structure.
Both elders cited an example of Onitsha Main market where the elected chairman, Mr. Gozie Okeke was recently removed unceremoniously midway into his tenure and replaced with a care-taker committee.
Apart from Okeke’s removal, ASMEF also decried the sacking of incumbent chairmen of Ochanja Central market and Onitsha Electronics market counterparts who were removed from office while their tenure are still running and immediately replaced with caretaker committees.
According to them, “the worst aspect of it all was that those being appointed as caretaker committee chairmen are from Omambala area of the state, an indication that there is a clash of interest”.
“We need to sustain democratically elected leadership in the markets and not to dismantle democracy and replace it with caretaker arrangement, particularly when there is no crisis in any of the markets to warrant appointment of caretaker leadership”.
