Peter Anosike
The biblical saying that when the righteous is on the throne, the people rejoice, was demonstrated in Alaba International Market recently when Ichie Fabian Ezeradi Ezeorjika was elected the president of the entire market.
Alaba International Market which is the biggest electronics and electrical products markets in Africa is made of 16 different sections which include electronics, electrical, fancy and furniture, industrial, among others.
Before his election as the president of Alaba Amalgamated Traders Association, Ezeorjika is the chairman of Electrical Dealers Association of Nigeria (EDAN), as well as the Co-ordinator, Alaba Amalgamated Traders Association.
Speaking while reacting on the election, the traders described Ezeorjika as a very honest and transparent man.
They said that apart from his honesty and transparency, he is also a great achiever.
According to them, with little or nothing, Ezeorjika is currently building an ultra-modern secretariat for the electrical section of the market, which on completion would boost their revenue.
They said that he has also made security of EDAN first class, adding that since he became the chairman, there has not been any outbreak of crisis.
One of the traders, Chinedu Okwudi said that Alaba International Market needs somebody like Ezeorjika to turn things around for good in the market.
He pointed out that Ezeorjika is a man with track records of achievements.
He said that the new Amalgamated president can squeeze water from stone to achieve results.
His words: “Ichie Ezeorjika is a man in whom we are well pleased. I am very sure that he would replicate what he did at EDAN in Alaba Amalgamated. The person that he succeeded came empty. He had no record anywhere. No vision and no mission. That is why we are happy that we now have a new president”.
Contributing, Mike Nwaokeke said that Ezeorjika would bring peace and prosperity to the market, adding that his humility is one thing that is helping him to build bridges of friendship across board.
He said that now he has been given the opportunity to lead the entire 16 sections, he would transform the market.
Chinese, Igbo business relationship gets boost in Nnewi
David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
The industrial and business community of Nnewi, Anambra State has witnessed what could be described as a hope-rising interaction as Consul General of China in Nigeria, Chu Maoming, visited the community.
The visit attracted by the Senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District, Dr Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah as 
part of his efforts towards strengthening the economy of Igbo nation gave various businessmen and women the opportunity to interact with the Chinese government through its Consul General in the country.
In his opening remarks, Senator Ubah thanked the Chinese government for honouring his invitation despite the tight schedule of its Embassy in the country.
He urged the Chinese government to reciprocate what he described as the big patronage it had continued to receive from Nigerians, especially the Igbo by establishing its Embassy in Anambra State.
According to Ubah, Anambra people had contributed immensely to the Chinese economy, saying that it was time for China to appreciate the state by locating its Embassy in Anambra, as well as making its visa issuance less cumbersome for his people.
He also told the Chinese government that Anambra people were hard working and eager to live in their state to develop it, assuring that they would not become liabilities to the Republic of China, if issued visas.
The Senator also told Mr Maoming that Nnewi remained a town with the highest number of industries in the country and urged the Chinese government to champion technology transfer to the state, which the Nnewi community is part of in other to help the state to fully exploit its technological potentials.
Senator Ubah also informed the gathering that the Chinese government through its Consul General would visit various industries, major markets and Confucius Institute in the state to witness their various activities aimed at supporting them adequately.
In their responses, representatives of various business units in the state thanked Ubah for initiating the meeting. They further urged the Chinese government to make technology transfer to the state its priority.
The business leaders also reinforced the request to the Republic of China to make visa issuance to traders in the State less difficult in order to boost trading activities between the two countries which they said would go a long way in promoting the economy of the State in particular and Nigeria generally.
Responding, Mr Maoming commended Senator Ubah for initiating the meeting. He said that the issue of cumbersome processes of Chinese visa issuance to businessmen and women in the state and Nigeria in general would be adequately addressed.
Tension builds up at Onitsha drug market over election
David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
Some traders at Bridge-Head Drug Market, Onitsha, otherwise known as “Ogbogwu International Market” are clamouring for an election to be conducted for the central leadership of the market.
The body championing the call is the market evangelism group led by Mr Collins Umahi with the support of the Board of Trustees Chairman of the evangelism group, Chief Benji Akudo.
It would be recalled that the BoT Chairman of the group, Chief Akudo was about two months ago allegedly whisked away from the weekly prayer session of the market by vigilante operatives on the orders of the market Caretaker Committee Chairman, Mr Anthony Ezioba and President-General of Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association (AMATAS), Chief Ikechukwu Ekwegbalu for allegedly defying the rules guiding prayers in markets.
However, the leader of the Ogbogwu market evangelism group, Mr Umahi had attributed the current misunderstanding between some of the traders and the current market leadership to arrogance and high-handedness.
Umahi recalled that activities of the evangelism group and that of the entire market were going smoothly before the appointment of the present caretaker committee.
He observed that the history of undemocratic leadership in the drug market had always been associated with what he described as bad omen, alleging that it was under a caretaker leadership a few years ago that the market was identified with fake and adulterated drugs, which he said eventually led to the closure of the market for about four months by the late former Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof Dora Akunyili. The aggrieved evangelist also noted that it was under that same period that traders of a section of the drug market, Surgical Science and Allied Equipment, called it a quits and formed their own union because of what he described as unacceptable activities associated with caretaker leadership of the market then.
While calling on the Commissioner for Commerce, Trade and Wealth Creation, Mr Uchenna Okafor, to commence the process of democratizing the central market leadership by conducting a free and fair election for traders of the market, the evangelist observed that the business environment was deteriorating which he noted was suppressing the gospel and impoverishing the traders.
He explained that more crises were being generated under the present caretaker committee,which he also accused of suppressing any form of opposition.
He insisted that all that traders of Ogbogwu International Market needed was a free and fair election, which the incumbent market Chairman, Mr Ezioba or any member of his executives is free to contest.
Investigation carried out by our correspondent suggested there was tension in the drug market following the inability of the Anambra State government to conduct election in the market barely one year the present executive was inaugurated.
Technology game changer in selling musical equipment –Onwubiko
Peter Anosike
The Chairman, Irukka Online Ltd, Ifeanyi Onwubiko, has said that technology is the game changer in the selling of musical equipment.
Speaking ahead of the unveiling of prosonus musical equipment in Lagos, he said that the reason Wharfedale Pro products are the highest selling musical equipment in the Nigerian market is because of the cutting edge technology which Irukka Online Ltd adopted.
According to him, Irukka Online believes in continuous training of staff in the latest techniques in digital marketing.
He said that musical equipment is an extremely dynamic industry, which is shaped by a combination of advances in technology, strong content provision and active digital marketing.
He noted that for you to do well in the industry and any other one in the 21st Century, your company must be technology driven.
He said that what they did with Wharfedale products by making it the highest selling, they would also do with prosonus products because they of very high quality.
Reallocation of market stalls tears Ukpor community apart
David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
Crisis has erupted at Ukpor in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State over allocation of market stalls reconstructed by Ukpor Improvement Union (UIU) with Chief Emma Nwachukwu as the president general.
Chief Nwachukwu told Sunday Sun that his executive on assumption of office began to embark on so many developmental projects ensuring that the community had electricity after about 10 years without power supply, including the modernization of Ukpor local markets.
But trouble started after Afor Ukpor market had been modernized and the union decided to reallocate the stalls even though the women were trading at the site before its modernization.
Chief Nwachukwu said the woman resisted the union’s policy of reallocating the stalls by itself according to products and insisted that they (the women) should rather be allowed to run the market and make payments to the town union which the union rejected.
“We re-opened Nkwo Oha market which came into existence for about 33 years ago, but was later abandoned. We now modernized it with modern abattoir and sank borehole. We have invested N12 million in constructing a major road connecting two roads beside the market so that you could enter from one end and go out from another end.
“We also decided to complete modernization of Afor Ukpor market that was started by my predecessor, Col. A.A Ogunna (rtd). It was done under ‘Anambra State choose your project initiative’ when Governor Willie Obiano gave each town union N20 million over a period of time to choose any project of their choice,” the PG said.