The leadership of Ogbete Main Market Traders Association (OMMTA), Enugu on Saturday absolved Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of any hand in the looming crisis in the market.
Tension appears to be rising in the market, just few months to the end of the current executive led by Chief Temple Ude.
DAILY POST gathered that the battle over Ude’s successor appears to be creating disaffection in the largest Enugu market.
However, addressing newsmen in Enugu, the President of the Association, Chief Ude, expressed feelings that some government officials could be instigating crisis among traders in Main market.
While expressing confidence that Ugwuanyi would not allow think of influence the election because of sentiment, he called on government officials to stay neutral and allow traders elect their leaders freely.
He accused one of the presidential aspirants in the market, Mr. Oliver Ezemba of instigating crisis in order to actualize his ambition by all means.
“He came to me and said he wants to succeed me; he promised me all sorts of things; asked me to name any price; he even said he was ready for us to swear an oath or write agreement, just to convince me that he will protect my interest.
“I refused and told him that he has to take things easy, that the traders will have to make their choice themselves.
“He got angry and that’s how he started championing crisis just to create anarchy in the market and then pave the way for a caretaker committee, through which he would actualize his ambition.”
Ude wondered why the traders in Ogbete Main market after enjoying unprecedented peace in the past seven years of his administration, some enemies of progress came to destroy it because of their desperate aspirations adding that it was the peaceful disposition among the traders that made the governor accept the proposal to give grants to traders in the state as well as donate N20 million as further support to their welfare.
The OMMTA President said that the association was currently under threat by a group serving the interest of some government officials from Nsukka zone of the state.
According to him, Ezemba and and the said officials were claiming that based on a non-existing zoning arrangement, the position must go to the Nsukka Zone of Enugu State.
Ude, who is also the Special Assistant to the Governor on Market Matters and Development, however, said that the current situation would not in anyway affect the unflinching support the governor enjoyed from the traders.
According to him the reason for the ‘crisis’ was not unconnected with the forthcoming election of executive members of the association, which some unpopular people wanted to hijack in order to enthrone themselves in office.
The trader’s leader who noted that such people were hiding under the pretext of coming from the same zone with the governor, said that traders needed to be allowed to elect their leaders through democracy, adding that any form of imposition would brew anarchy among the traders.
“The amiable governor we know will never use his position or want to influence legitimate activities of the traders. It is some politicians from Nsukka that are championing the crisis in our association.
“If you try to impose anybody in the market you are brewing crisis. The traders will surely revolt because the market is where we make our living,” he said.
He said that the association under his administration had built peaceful bridges which must not be allowed to collapse due to the antics of few members.
“We made transparency a paramount aspect of our administration which was manifest in pay-rolling executive members for the first time,” he said.
Ude said that it had never been as rosy and that their efforts at building good rapport culminated in the governor accepting to include traders as members of Development Area Centers in the state.
He said that traders at the market were appreciative of the governor’s support which had led to the institution of traders welfare scheme where several of their colleagues had been empowered.
While calling on those fanning the embers of disunity to desist forthwith and realign with efforts aimed at consolidating the progress made by his administration, he also urged the security agencies to be red alert; not to swayed by the desperate bid of trouble makers.
Meanwhile, when contacted, Ezemba admitted that he was an aspirant to the position of the OMMTA President, but insisted that he was not in any way instigating any crisis.
He equally denied ever making attempt to bribe the incumbent.
“I don’t have any plan to create crisis, only that I am a presidential aspirant of OMMTA for the 2018 election.
“I also never offered him any monetary offer to the President. I never went to him over my ambition. I only consulted my commodity”, he said.
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