Hundreds of protesting women thronged the market square of
Eke-Awka, chanting war songs, and calling on one Christain Igwebuike Chinwuko (a.k.a) Nze Chinwuko to desist from the act of parading himself as the newly
appointed caretaker chairman of the market and to step down for their duly elected
chairman of the market in the interest of peace in the community.
They alleged the market had on 17th July, 2014. Conducted
elections into different posts, which produce the present exco led by Chief
Emeka Agumadu as the sustantive chairman of Eke-Awka trader Association
chairman.
The women, whose ages ranges from forties and above vowed to impose tention on
the Christain Igwebuike Chinwuko a.k.a Nze Chinwuko who claimed to have gotten
an injuction from a magistrate court to serve as the caretaker committee chairman and
conduct a fresh election into already occupied offices.
Speaking to journalists, the chairman, Eke-Awka Traders
Ascoiation, Chief Emeka Agumadu denied the knowledged of their exhistence,
alleging that the Christain Igwebuike Chinwuko lead team was being sponsored by
the chairman of Awka South Local Government Area, Chief Azubuike
Iloh who according to him had approached him on several occasion to hands off section
and levies for the LG to control.
He frowned at the idea where the LG chief executive would
negate the state act that extablished parks and market committee to be in
charge of market levy on behalf of the state government, whose interest, he as
the market chairman is ready to protect and defend.
‘’ I know him as a 419 man from day one, he is not a
business man neither did he own a store in the market, People are now telling
me, because I have not seen him face-to-face, and Nze Chinwuko moving around,
started telling people he is the new caretaker chairman in Eke-Awka Market
coordinated by the local government chairman’.
‘’ But am elected chairman, they went to court and said we are
planning to do election in the market, then along the line, we are doing rally
in the market, that is why they shot and killed someone, instead of telling the
court the truth, they lied to the court, and they went ahead, messing up with
my name that it is the new chairman of Eke-Awka market, so am surprised’’.
‘’Everybody got annoyed, when he jumped into the market,
that was why the women you saw too got seriuosly annoyed with such injustice
and started doing rally and protest you saw in the market against him and
warning him to move out of the market before he caused problem in the market’’.
Emeka Said.
Also speaking, Anambra state market woman leader, Chief Mrs.
Ezigwe Promise Chinwe , said the women are strongly against the move by some
group of persons who would not want peace to reign in the market and would want
to come behind door to take control of the market, when they have already elected
their leaders in the last market election.
Her word, ‘’ Intruders wanted to come into Eke-Awka market
this morning, they wanted to take charge of Eke-Awka, knowing too well that
Eke-Awka was registered and under the care of the Anambra state market’’.
‘’They came in under
the instruction given to them by the Awka South Local government chairman,
using their power, infact, they wanted to force themselves into the market,
that they want to collect levies in Eke-Awka market, they want to use their
authority on us, so that we can start paying N500,00 everyday’’.
‘’They equally said they will destroy some shops in
Eke-Awka, so that those places would be motorable, we now ask them from whose authority
they are carrying out these task, they said its on their own authority because
they are Awka indegens. We later discover that it was one man called Igwebuike
Chinwunko that sent them though the L.G chairman’’ She claimed.
Responding on the allegation levied against him, the
chairman, Awka South L.G.A, Chief Azubuike Iloh denied involvement in the
market crisis, stated he has not requested anyone to act on his behalf, which
if need be, he has the constitutional right to carry out legally required task
in the market, because, collection of levY is currently under joint administration
of the state and local government.
‘’I need NOT to aproach
him to collect legally approved levy for my local governement, if my local
government has a levy to collect, I will go into the maket and collect it. He does
not have the competences to stop me from collecting levies due for my local
council, for now, my council is not collecting any levy from the market because
we are still expecting white paper from the government, authorising us on which
and which levy to collect from the market, because, right now, the market in
under joint administration between the market and the state’’ He said.
Chief Azubuike further bouyed on his administrative
competence to carry out lawfull duties under his jurisdiction, without recourse
to take permission from an acclaimed market chairman.
‘’ I am a person that respects due process, if there is need
for a change of the market leadership,I think I really need to look at the indices
on ground, know why you should, because
you cannot just change market leadership for the sake of changing it, I have
not heard from them, when they are saying it, this is the first time I am
hearing it, and I will leave it at the realm of speculation’’ .
Our correspondent gathered that, many market people, would
need the state government intervention, to quickly arrest the brewing crisis,
before it leads to chaos..
