By Alphonsus Nweze
Some group of traders of Iron Rod Dealers Union, Atani Road, Ogbaru, who contributed money to build market at Nteje in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State have again called on Governor Chukwuma Soludo to prevail on the former chairman of the market, Chief Nnaemeka Onuzululike, to render account of his stewardship in accordance with their tradition.
Addressing newsmen at Onitsha, the second time within a month, the traders also called on the Special Adviser to the Governor on Trade and Market, Chief Evaristus Uba, to use his good office to prevail on the Governor to positively intervene in the matter before things get out of hand.
Speaking on behalf of the traders former Public Relations Officer (PRO), during Onuzulike’s first tenure, from 2013 to 2017, Mr. Jude Mbadugha, said their call on the Governor to intervene has become imperative to avoid further crisis in the market that might lead to bloodshed.
He said their demand which they have taken to SPAD and the State House of Assembly was that Onuzulike should render account of his stewardship for his two tenures of four years to the traders of Iron Rod Dealers Union, Atani Road as well as hand over to them their plots of land they had paid for,not shops.
The traders’ group accused the Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Market, Mr. Samuel Chinedu Ike, of compromising his position by siding with Onuzulike and his group.
They alleged that when they took the matter to him asking Onuzulike to hand over to the new leadership, instead of being neutral, Ike said that the documents should be handed over to him.
But when the documents were handed over to him, instead of handing over the documents to the new leadership, he deceived them by holding back the documents and handed over to them “fake documents” .
Unfortunately, he made them to sign that they had collected the documents and each time they raised the issue he would tell them they had signed and collected the documents.
However, in his sharp reaction Onuzulike dismissed all their allegations,saying that he had already addressed these allegations when he spoke to the media about a fortnight ago.
He said there was nothing they wanted except to destroy his legacies for the eight years he held sway as the chairman, which Building Materials International Market, Nteje was one of them.
Onuzulike said those who said he did not build up to 450 shops in the new market should tell the public how many he has built or if he had not built at all.
When we contacted the Permanent Secretary through SMS to know the role he had played in the crisis, he simply replied:”Don’t Mind them. I advise you meet with the new chairman to confirm their allegations”.
Chief Uba did not reply to our inquiry on what he is doing to resolve the lingering crisis.
But the aggrieved traders said when they took the matter to the House of Assembly, it was progressing until Ike came in and told the members that they would not hear the matter because it is pending in the court and that was how he blocked the House from mediating in the case.
They said they had to resort to the media because virtually all the avenues to access justice have been shut, so they have no option than bring it to the court of public opinion.
The former image maker accused Nnaemeka of lying to the media on several issues in this matter, saying that he has not built up to 450 shops at Nteje as he claimed .
He also said thet jointly with seven other markets bought 1, 340 plots and allegedly claimed that Onuzulike and his group claimed they used 440 plots for thoroughfare.
Mbadugha also warned those buying plots and shops at the so called international market Nteje to desist because they might be throwing their money into Atlantic ocean as the market is under litigation with Suit No: AT/46/2919.
He also emphasised that there is nothing international about the market, saying that Onuzulike and his people were using the word “international” to lure people who desperately want to purchase shops in Anambra State.
The spokesperson said the injunction restraining the parties from doing anything in the land still subsist, but Onuzulike, he said, has been flouting it with impunity, arguing that there was no process or order of court that had vacated the injunction.
He alleged that SPAD had set up a Committee which found Onuzulike and his people guilty but instead of complying with the recommendation, they rushed to Ike who is now protecting them by fighting the traders.
Onuzulike on his part said if the injunction was still subsisting why were they shopping for another one from Vacation Judge in Awka who refused them the request and returned them to Atani High Court where the case was pending.
He said this matter has gone through about six layers of reconciliation starting from the elders’Committee of Iron Rod Union, a 22-man Committee set up by the market, the leadership of the eight markets building the Nteje International Market before heading went to SPAD and the State House of Assembly.
At each ocassion when the case was about to turn against them, claimed Nnaemeka, they would pull out from the reconciliation, insisting that those involved in the matter were his friends who started and helped him win election with him but felt that he did not open the vaults of the Union for them.
And the only option for them, he said, was to destroy everything he has achieved as the chairman of Iron Rod Dealers Union, Atani, which chief among them was Building Materials International Market, Nteje.
