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David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
There have been accusations and counter-accusations between the Chairman of Nnewi Insurance Workers’ Association, Chief Egbosimba Nich and the chairman of Fairly Used and New Motorcycles Dealers Association (FUNMDA), Mr Eloka Ubajekwe, over the control of insurance workers at Nwagbara, Nkwo Nnewi market.
Chief Nich accused Mr Ubajekwe of attempts to highjack insurance business from his union as they operated within the market environment.
He alleged that Ubajekwe was a meddlesome interlooper in insurance business and could not control a business he had no knowledge of.
Nich said he had been in the insurance business for over 35 years and would not allow a novice of the trade to highjack it.
He denied showing no concern over the activities of fakers in the market just as he tendered series of letters sent to some authorities, including security agents to assist his association to get rid of fake insurance operators.
He said that insurance workers had even signed an undertaking with his association and yet persisted in their fake activities.
However, Ubajekwe said his concern was only to salvage FUNMDA from ugly image of habouring those fake insurance brokers who he said had resisted many efforts by his association to control them.
He said that he had told those of them operating within Nwagbara market under his watch to come under one umbrella union and choose a leader among themselves to make control easy for his association.
He noted that it was such an attempt that the insurance chairman misconstrued to be a highjack, adding that he had no intention to dabble into insurance business or highjack it from its parent body, but would not fold his hands to watch fake insurance workers having a field day.
He said that Chief Nich was not doing enough to handle the situation.
He said that law enforcement agents had been continually raiding the market with the knowledge of the association leaders, arresting the culprits.
He expressed fear that there could be an accidental discharge in the market while in pursuit of the fake insurance suspects “since they always try to escape any time they sighted the security agents.”
He said that police arrested about six suspects in the market in the penultimate weekend alone.
He called on the Board of Internal Revenue, Anambra State government and security agents to see that any fake insurance operator arrested is prosecuted and jailed to serve as a deterrent to others “and not to allow them to easily wriggle out of police net when arrested.”
He noted that this would be a permanent control of the activities of the fakers.
Anambra building materials market plans big for apprentices
David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
President, Building Materials International, Market, Ogidi, near Onitsha in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Chief Jude Nwankwo, has given reasons the leaders of the market have decided to expand their horizon in accommodating younger apprentices who are expected to occupy some of the newly built shops in and around the market after their period of apprenticeship.
Chief Nwankwo said this was in consideration of the fact that the apprentices needed to occupy shops after a stipulated period of their learning in order to escape from touting and what is commonly known as “market hustling”, saying that every efforts were being made to give them a sense of belonging and soft landing after years of apprenticeship.
He noted that without giving them a place to transact their businesses after graduation, they might constitute social nuisance in the market.
He explained that building material international market, Ogidi, had for years been acknowledged as a unique place that considers the well-being and business success of the traders, which he said was evident in the empowerment of over 250 traders who had experienced business failure or ill-health.
“We have always been our brother’s keepers since I assumed office more than two years ago. We have also engaged in giving Christmas and New Year food items to sustain the less privileged people in the society.
“The scheme has benefited, especially non-members of the market who troop in their large numbers to the market during the month of December each year for gift items with transport money attached to it,” he said.
The market boss, however, revealed that the secret of peaceful atmosphere in the market and prosperity among the traders in business was “giving alms to the poor and needy.”
He advised other market leaders in Anambra State and the Southeast to initiate the idea of donating willingly to the poor and care for the less privileged as a means of attracting more blessings to their businesses and families.
While lamenting constant loss of lives along Enugu/Onitsha Express Road, Ogidi axis where the market is located, the market leader pleaded with state and Federal Government to immediately construct a pedestrian bridge to reduce accidents in the area considering its enormous human and vehicular movement.
Check quality of noodles in markets –Tummy Tummy boss tells agencies
David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of KOTEC Group of Companies, Nnewi, Anambra State, Chief Chika Emenike, has called on Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) and National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to beam their searchlight on the quality of noodles in the Nigerian markets.
Chief Emenike said there were about 20 different brands of the noodles in circulation, which he said had come down to eight as at today because of sharp competition in the business.
The CEO whose company produces Tummy Tummy Noodles in Nnewi said that experience had shown that over 95 per cent of health challenges people had today were caused by what they eat. He noted that since many people now use pasta for their meals as fast food, the Federal regulatory agencies should as a point of duty ensure the noodles in circulation were safe for human consumption.
“The truth is that there are some non-indigenous companies that produce these noodles and push them to the markets without recourse to what is good for the indigenous people. And some of them do not even eat their own products. They don’t produce for their nuclear or extended families to consume because they are not here. They just produce for the markets and under this circumstance, it is very easy for standards to be compromised, “ he said.
Chief Emenike insisted that some of the noodles producers could easily compromise somewhere along the line since they have already been given their licenses to operate.
He insisted that was why the regulatory agencies should from time to time check those companies to find out whether they have lowered standards.
He maintained that every country has its own taste when it comes to noodles, adding that what has sustained his products in the market is that he has been able to study noodles production in Nigeria and discovered that there is need to produce according to indigenous taste “to close the gap created by some of the non-indigenous companies who do not consider our background.”
Chief Emenike called on the Federal Government to consider tax holiday and reduction in tariffs for the manufacturers to enable them increase their productivity to employ more unemployed youths.
He is also bothered about epileptic power supply in the Nnewi industrial community, which he said has continued to slow down production in the area.
Irukka Online Music Mall unveils Delta 215 loudspeakers
Peter Anosike
As part of its responsiveness to the ever-changing need of loudspeaker users, Irukka Online Music Mall, the sole distributor of Wharfedale pro-UK, musical brand of musical equipment in West Africa, has unveiled Delta 215 quasi 3-way passive loudspeaker.
Speaking at the unveiling to newsmen, the Chairman of Irukka Group of Companies, Ifeanyi Onwubiko, said that the Delta 215 speaker was crafted with the highest quality components.
According to him, the robust technology and durable components ensure that it could meet the demands of touring, rental and fixed installations.
He said that the high frequency (HF) and low frequency (LF) drivers are made for the road, adding that the Rhino rock textured black paint finish and steel grille would ensure complete protection from unfriendly weather.
He also said that Delta 215 speaker features 2 titanium voice coil combined with a 2×15 low distortion cast frame woofers, adding that the loudspeaker generates 100 watts RMS of power spanning a full range sound of 45 Hz-20Hz while the 90×60 waveguides ensure a long throw projection.
His words: “You know that the musical equipment industry is changing, so we have to change with it. Recall that last time we unveiled WLA210X line array system which has the same design philosophies as the acclaimed WLA-25 and WLA-26 systems from Wharedale pro. The WLA are portable, powerful and versatile line array solutions which are ideal for both touring and fixed installation applications. The WLA-210X element also features passive and Bi-amp modes which allows for complete system control. The Bi-amp feature enables the system designer to select the best amplification for each driver component within the array. Such control, when used with external signal processing, such as the wharfedale pro-versa drive series gives the engineer the ultimate in system fine tuning. This in turn leads to the best audio output.”
