By Nwabueze Okonkwo
ONITSHA — Pressure gripped the favored Onitsha drug market, often known as Ogbogwu, on Friday as a gaggle of merchants staged a peaceable protest demanding the elimination of the market’s caretaker chairman, Chief Chukwuleta Ndubuisi, and his government committee.
The protesters, led by Chief Chibueze Ifejiofor, accused the caretaker management of poor administration and overstaying its tenure. They marched by way of a number of sections of the market chanting slogans and carrying placards calling for Chukwuleta’s resignation.
The group, which recognized itself as Involved and Real Members of Ogbogwu Medical Merchants, alleged that the caretaker committee had did not account for funds, mishandled market affairs, and uncared for merchants’ welfare. In addition they faulted the extended keep of the caretaker committee, which they stated had exceeded its preliminary three- to six-month mandate.
Addressing journalists, Ifejiofor stated the committee had been in workplace for almost 4 years with out conducting elections. He accused the chairman of ignoring merchants’ inputs and appearing unilaterally on key points affecting the market.
Different audio system on the protest, together with Mr. Benjamin Ikebata and Comrade Sunday Ezeigwe, alleged that the chairman had did not defend merchants throughout a regulatory raid available on the market earlier within the 12 months and had imposed levies with out correct session. In addition they expressed concern over alleged disconnection of electrical energy in some sections of the market and the imposition of a number of costs on petty merchants and barrow pushers.
They additional claimed that the chairman’s alleged loyalty to political figures and senior authorities officers was undermining the autonomy of the market’s management.
Nonetheless, in a swift response, Chief Chukwuleta Ndubuisi dismissed the allegations as false and politically motivated, describing the protesters as “disgruntled parts” who had been a part of a former government dissolved by the state authorities.
He defined that the dissolution adopted disagreements over the right remittance of internally generated income (IGR) to the state treasury, noting that a few of the protesters wished the funds shared amongst themselves.
On the accusation of overstaying in workplace, Chukwuleta maintained that using caretaker committees was a statewide administrative resolution.
“I’m not the one caretaker chairman in Anambra. Most markets are presently being managed by caretaker committees as directed by the federal government,” he said.
He additionally denied any wrongdoing concerning energy disconnections, saying solely merchants who defaulted on electrical energy payments had been affected.
“I’ve held management positions in Ogbogwu for a few years, lengthy earlier than Governor Soludo’s emergence. My relationship with authorities officers is only coincidental {and professional}. These people protesting are merely opposing accountability and due course of,” he stated.
Chief Chukwuleta urged merchants and the general public to ignore what he described as false claims, insisting that his management stays dedicated to transparency and the right remittance of presidency income.
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