Gov Soludo sanitizes, restors peace in Anambra markets-traders

    From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi

Traders in Ogbaru Relief market, under the aegis of Ogbaru Relief Market Traders’ Forum, Anambra State, have commended Governor Charles Soludo for the sack of caretaker committees leaders in 32 flawed markets in the State.

The traders said that dissolution of the caretaker committees had restored  permanent peace that eluded them since the sacked leaders took over the markets.

Making the commendation, the chairman of the Forum, Hon. Felix Nwankwo, told newsmen in the market that the step taken by the Governor through his Commissioner for Trade and Commerce, Hon. Obinna Ngonadi, showed that they were abreast of happenings in all the markets in the State.

The Forum chairman who was flanked by his secretary, Chief Uche Okoli, said that most of the committee members had over stayed their welcome having been there beyond the life span of a tenure while others rigged their way to the seat of the chairman during elections.

“Some have stayed in office for over five to eight years running as caretaker committee members without the conduct of democratic elections as they used money to oil the palms of those at the helm of affairs.

“Others as annointed candidates of their sponsors, had smooth sail  as they openly rigged the elections to the detriment of their rivals who had nobody to question the flawed elections.

“That is why we commend Governor Soludo and the Commissioner for trade and Commerce for rescuing the markets in the state from the hands of selfish individuals who believe that the markets are their personal property.

 “They never expected that the government would oppose them and brought sanity in the markets in the State in less than two months of assumption of office.

“We thank God Almighty for the gift of the Governor and the Commissioner and hope that by the time they will complete their first tenure of four years and commence another tenure of four years, making it eight years, markets in the State and other sectors of the economy would have been better  off than they are now, ” he said.

Hon Nwankwo recalled that the Governor had in his electioneering campaign, pledged to turn the State to Dubai of Africa, saying that the Anambra people believed he would do that having started on a good note by sanitizing the markets.

He said there was every hope that the markets under the watch of  Commissioner Ngonadi, would be better off than what they were when he came on board, having started, according to him, on a clean slate by sacking market leaders who boasted that they owned the markets.