The Electronics Market in Onitsha, the commercial hub of Anambra State, is currently facing leadership crisis over the suspension of the secretary-general, Damian Ogudike. Ogudike told BusinessDay in Onitsha on Tuesday that the market union president-general, Izuchukwu Okoye, suspended him for refusing to support him to amend the market constitution unilaterally.
“For over a year, I am fighting a cold war with our president-general because he wants to change our market union constitution without following due process,” Ogudike said.
“Any constitution amendment will be by a general meeting, a committee set up with terms of reference. When the committee finishes its job, it will table same before a general meeting which goes through it for adoption, but it is unfortunate that the president-general did not want to follow due process,” he said.
Ogudike said as a consequence, the president-general accused him of embezzling N21,000,000 from somebody who wanted to buy a shop plaza in the market.”He created WhatsApp and personal e-mail for union account,” Ogudike said.
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The secretary-general said that the president-general gave him a query, which he replied but to his surprise, he was suspended with also a threat to his life.”I have reported the matter to the security agencies and also intimated the development in the market to the state commissioner for Trade and Commerce, Hon. Uchenna Okafor.
“I am appealing to the stakeholders and elders of the market to rise up and take over the market before Okoye destroys it.”Let state government intervene in the market leadership crisis before it escalates. We don’t want caretaker. If Okoye is not competent, let him hand over to the trustees,” he said.
Reacting, the president general, Izuchukwu Okoye, debunked the allegations leveled against him by his secretary-general. He said the secretary-general was suspended due to his criminal acts and misconducts.
“He created e-mail bearing Abia parliament.com.ng so that he receives information of union account which he is not a signatory.
“He conspired with a group of people and collected N21,000,000 from somebody who wants to buy a shop plaza in the market.”He created a WhatsApp forum to instigate confusion in the market. There is never a time I threatened his life,” Okoye said.
Efforts to get comments from the Commissioner of Market proved abortive as he was not picking his calls.
