Chief Humphrey Anuna, the President General of Anambra State Market Traders Association (ASMATA) says he has no hand in the manhandling of a suspended member of the executive committee, Chief Emmanuel Obiagwu, Vice Chairman of Idemili Zone.
Anuna made the clarification with Journalists on Monday while reacting to the allegation that Obiagwu was beaten up by thugs on his instructions.
The President General who dismissed the claims as sheer blackmail by those who were working to oust him from office unconstitutionally said he could not be the victim and the accused at the same time.
Recall that Obiagwu had scuffle with men of ASTHMA taskforce on Oct 3 within the association’s secretariat but alleged that they were acting on the directive of the President General.
Anuna who blamed Obiagwu for his ordeal in the hands of the taskforce said he had no reason to visit the ASMATA Office as he was still serving his suspension at the time of the incident.
He said Obiagwu was suspended from office by the executive committee with effect from Sept. 17 for gross
misconducts.
According to the suspension letter, your indefinite suspension is as a result of taxating low income earners against the directive of the governor, polluting the minds of ASMATA executives, chairmen and secretaries to
disobey the PG and other constituted authorities by open confrontation.
“Brandishing unsubstantiated weighty allegations via petitions to various authorities against the person and office of the PG ASMATA, abuse of office and gross misconduct unbecoming to your high office as ASMATA Executive and ldemili zonal chairman.
“Your indefinite suspension shall be effective from Sept.17 2024 until you purge yourself from the above unbecoming attitude and become of noble character befitting to your high offices,” it stated.
The President General said Obiagwu who was still serving suspension in a bid to force himself into the office attacked the leader of the Task Force team who tried to stop him by slapping him twice.
“I was not involved in the alleged fight with Obiagwu, I was in my office attending to official duties at the time of the incident, when I heard the noise and tried to know what was going on, they advised that I should not because the man wanted to create a scene.
“It is in public domain that ASMATA executive suspended Emmanuel Obiagwu from office, so why should he force himself into the office. As a matter of fact, he snapped the task force leader twice for stopping him and that was how the young man fought back.
“This is part of the campaign he us leading against my leadership, he has been spreading lies, leveling unsubstantiated allegations against me and tarnishing the image of ASMATA just because I said it will no longer be business as usual for those shortchanging the government,” he said.
Anuna said Obiagwu was just the face of a syndicate who were angry with him for stopping revenue accruable to the government from going into private pockets.
He said his team had been able to increase annual revenue to the government from N 400 million to N1.2 billion by ensuring that more markets were brought into the tax net and ensuring that leakages were blocked.
Anuna said he had been able to put in place a remittance compliance mechanism by directing the markets leadership to present proof that they had paid collected monies into the state account.
He dismissed the allegations of corruption against him as his administration was working in the interest of Anambra governments and market community.
