Traders under the platform of Old Aguata Union, OAU, Friday, have called for the intervention of the Anambra State Ministry of Commerce and Industry over the leadership crisis rocking the Onitsha Bridgehead market, over alleged disobedient to court order.
The traders also demanded for the sack of the leadership led by Mr Sunday Obinze.
Addressing newsmen, the chairman of the OAU traders, that make up 45 communities, comrade Peter Okala, accused the former Commissioner, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, during Governor Willie Obiano’s administration, Hon. Uchenna Okafor, and Sunday Obinze, of disobeying court order.
According to Okala, “Corruption is fighting back at the Onitsha Bridgehead market now. Out of proceeds of stallage fees, traders’ tax and sanitation fees amounting to about #500million, none went to Government coffers in three years.
“The former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Samuel Ike, who has been deployed to another Ministry, denied all the allegations on behalf of Sunday Obinze and the Ministry, because he received mouth watering sum of money, from the market leadership, to cover up all the allegations levelled against the leadership and the Ministry. The Permanent Secretary, said that Sunday Obinze, has not committed any offence where as they have disobeyed more than three court orders.
“Former Commissioner, appointed Sunday Obinze, caretaker committee chairman, for one year and after that he conducted a kangaroo election at ASMATA Secretariat and elected himself as the market President.
“He changed the name of the market to Bridge Head Market International, without the consent of the traders. We have hope that with the cleansing of the mess in the markets now by the Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, through his able Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Hon. Obinna Ngonadi, the market will be restored to its lost glory.
“The funny thing is that the Permanent Secretary, When we complained about the disobedient to court order and other allegations against the market leadership, the Permanent Secretary, denied all the allegations Sunday Obinze, in collaboration with the Ministry, committed.
“It is a fraud of the highest order that as a Permanent Secretary, who government pays salary, and who still remains in government, will condescend so low, to exonerate the market leadership Knowing the gravity of the atrocities committed in the market”
In his response to the allegations, dated 10th May 2022, the Permanent Secretary, said that, “We have read your petition against Mr. Sunday Obinze, the President General of the market and have painstakingly investigated the various allegations and complaints .
“It is on record that the Ministry of Trade and Commerce received notice of the order of the court annulling the election of 28th May, 2019, proceeded to dissolve the market executives in order to avoid vacuum, proceeded to appoint caretaker committee for the traders.
“The issue of those who were appointed goes to no issue because the Ministry reserves the right to appoint persons she seems capable into caretaker committee.
“The Ministry didn’t disobey the order of the court and hence the natural death of the forms 48 and 49 that were issued against the Commissioner.
“The issue of continuing to collect revenue despite the order made by the Governor, is false. The allegation of diverton of government generated revenue into personal purse of the executives is unfortunate.
“Also the allegation of indiscriminate construction of stalls and plazas on access roads as alleged, we discovered they were built by government contractors and not the market executives”.
