BY SUNNY A. DAVID
The newly appointed Caretaker Committee Chairman of Ogbaru Main Market, Anambra State, Chief Ndubuisi Ochiogu, revealed on New Year day that he inherited an empty office on assumption of office.
Chief Ochiogu who was accompanied to the market by the Okpoko Divisional Police Officer, (DPO), Department of Security Service, (DSS), media and sectional market heads, added that his predecessor, Chief Victor Nwawuzie, (Akirika) was not present to hand over the key to the Chairman’s office to him or give to his Secretary General/Chief Security officer of the market knowing that the handover note was billed for New Year day.
His words, “I don’t know that Akirika will remove the whole thing in the office and deny us key to the office. He is suppose to give the key to the Chief security officer or the Secretary General if he know he will not be present.
“Why we decided that the security men, DPO Okpoko, DSS and the media will accompany us to the office is to ensure whatever is seen here in the office is recorded.
“Recall that we were sworn-in on 17th of December 2020 by the Commissioner for Commerce, Markets, Trade and Wealth Creation, Hon. Uchenna Okafor (a.k.a. Wiper) and we agreed that the hand over should be on New year day.
“I am sure government is a continuity, it is today (New Year Day) that I picked from Akirika. As we start work, we will continue with the good things he did if any and discontinue the bad ones,” Ochiogu stated.
Speaking, the Secretary General of the market, Chief Bucknor Agu, admitted that the office was empty when the door was broken as there was no key to open it but added that virtually all the things in the office were owned by the out gone Chairman and he collected them as he was leaving.
His words: “I am part of the previous administration and I know that the immediate past Chairman furnished the office and he took away the things he bought with his personal money.
“Most of the things Akirika inherited are in various offices. I know too well that Ochiogu is humble and can move the market forward if and only if he embraces peace, dialogue,” he stated.
Contributing, the Ogbaru Local Government Area Caretaker Committee Chairman, Hon. Arinze Awogu, in his speech commended Governor Willie Obiano and Commissioner Okafor for appointing Ochiogu as the Chairman, adding that Ochiogu would lay a solid foundation for the progress of the market even as a Caretaker Committee Chairman.
“With the appointment of Ochiogu as Chairman of the market God has answered the prayers of the traders,” Hon. Awogu stated.
In a swift reaction a market Leaders who said he was speaking on behalf of the traders, Chief Emma Okeke, spoke contrary adding that the appointment was a rape on democracy in the Market as traders never envisaged having a Caretaker Committee but elected executive to pilot the affairs of the market.
Hear him, “It is imposition of Leadership on the traders because there was no crisis in the market and all markets were told to be calm that there would not be any change in Leadership for now because of coronovirus pandemic that is presently ravaging the World.
“How come that it was on New Year Day when every body especially the Ogbaru market traders were in their various villages celebrating the Christmas and New Year periods that the Chairman’s office was broken by the Caretaker Committee Chairman, Chief Ndubuisi Ochiogu, on January 1, 2021.”
Chief Emmanuel Okeke accused a prominent business magnet in the State of imposing Ochiogu on the traders using his influence and urged Governor Willie Obiano to immediately reverse the situation before the Ogbaru traders express their dissatisfaction.
“Enough of this ‘cash and carry’ system of Caretaker Leadership in Anambra markets,” he warned.
“It is unfortunate that this is happening under Governor Willie Obiano and the Commissioner in charge of Markets, who allowed himself to be used by influential people. It is also unfortunate that they are putting in place Caretaker against the wish of the traders when they are preparing for Governorship election this year.
“Ochiogu moved in and destroyed the office of the Chairman with about 100 followers thereby fanning the embers of war.”
