Traders of New Auto Motorcycle Spare Parts (NASPA), Nnewi, have accused the Anambra State Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Wealth Creation of frustrating efforts to conduct elections in the market.
In two separate petitions submitted to Public Complaints Commission (PCC), members under the aegis of Aspirants Forum of NASPA, said the market had been without elected executive since August 2017.
Oliver Uzodimma and Jonas Iloka, chairman and secretary, signed the petition, respectively, and seven others who said they had purchased forms, screened and certified to stand for election that had become elusive.
They alleged that Obinna Okechukwu, the caretaker committee chairman, had been paying heavy sums of money to the ministry to perpetuate his stay in office and avoid election.
The petitioners said the caretaker chairman who was exploiting traders was being shielded by the commissioner, Christian Madubuko, who extended his tenure for six months instead of three months.
They said a duly elected chairman would not work against his members, and wondered why the caretaker chairman who was quizzed for illegal collection was allowed to return to his position.
The traders said every stakeholder who had intervened in the matter including the traditional ruler of Nnewi agreed that election should be conducted and wondered why Anambra government has refused it.
They urged the federal government through the PCC to intervene in the matter and save over 20, 000 traders in the market from proxy leadership and extortion.
“What the caretaker chairman does is to use part of the money to induce and bribe the ministry for commerce and some stakeholders in order to extend his tenure which was supposed to be three months.
“We have been enduring the travails created by the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Dr Christian Madubuko, over activities with caretaker chairman against traders in Nnewi motorcycle market.
“Our members who want to build or deck a block of shops are forced to pay the sum of N5 million using printed papers from the ministry with threat to demolish the shops if they don’t pay.
“The commissioner claims his office is not aware of illegal collection of levies and verification fees which runs into millions of naira. We are seriously demanding for election so as to avert impunity and abnormalities in the market for the good of the people,” they said.
But reacting, Okechukwu, the caretaker chairman, dismissed the petitioners as a minority who were trying to stop the good work he was doing in the market.
He said he was not opposed to the conduct of election in the market whenever government was ready but insisted that there must be peace in the market before any election.
“They want me to fight the government and I said no, who is even asking for election when they are enjoying the good work I am doing in the market.
“How can they accuse me of bribing the government, am I richer than Anambra government? How can I get such that type of money they are talking about.
“There is a problem in the market; we should solve it first, government will conduct election whenever they are ready but I must be part of the contestants,” he said.
On his part, Madubuko said the petitioners were trying to blackmail him because he had refused them to continue with ‘business as usual,’ noting that he had plugged the entire loophole for leakages.
He said he was not stopping the conduct of the election, as he did not install the caretaker committee, which was in place before he assumed office.
He however said he was not in town but would respond to all allegations with verifiable facts when he returned.
