Police dissociate self from alleged election of new exco for Synthe-Fabric market
By Emeka Okeke, Awka
The intra market crisis rocking Synthe-Fabric Dealers Association, Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State, took a new dimension when the newly elected executive led by Mr. Emenike Isaac Okafor, was reportedly dissolved for not being properly elected.
It was gathered that only police personnel from zone 13 Ukpo, were present during the conduct of the election that ushered in Mr Okafor, and consequently, the police allegedly distanced themselves from the election as there were no representatives from state government and the leadership of Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders' Association, ASMATA.
It is ASMATA that is responsible for conduct of election in markets and in a bid to restore peace and have executive of the market, the two warring factions in the market now frequent ASMATA secretariat, lobbying for favour, it was gathered.
One of the factions, led by a caretaker committee chairman, Sunday Muofunanya, told newsmen that the opposition led by former chairman of the market, Chief Sunday Nweke, plotted a coup with his stooge, Mr. Okafor, by conducting illegal election and declared Okafor winner.
"I remain the market chairman and I am pleading to ASMATA, security operatives and government to prevail on our members in Onitsha to come and join us in Ogidi where we have permanent market.
"The problem in the market is caused by Sunday Nweke who has ruled the market for 12 years and refused to render account of how much he built the shops at the permanent site, Ogidi, with the traders' money. He continues selling every empty shop and plazas without rendering account.
"He solely conducted market election with zone 13 police and installed his stooge, Okafor, as chairman. Now the police have told us that they have dissolved that election that it was not their responsibility to conduct election for traders but that of ASMATA and government," he further explained.
"I even petitioned SPAD on the collaboration with zone 13 police command to conduct election when I am still the chairman and after the conduct of the election which no government officials witnessed except zone 13 police. Now the police have dissolved the election as they have no power to conduct it.
"Nweke boasted that he is the only one to produce market chairman and whenever we have meeting he will arrange with some members to cause crisis and eventually the meeting will end in fiasco," he disclosed.
In a swift reaction when contacted, the former chairman, Chief Sunday Nweke, denied all allegations leveled against him, adding that the problem of the market is installation of caretaker committees instead of elected executives.
According to him, Muofunanya is a caretaker committee chairman who has stayed for two years when our constitution says three months and he vowed to stay for 12 years.
"Caretaker committee does not give us update on what is happening in markets and that is why we elected Okafor. We are all full members of APGA and this issue of caretaker has caused a lot of problem in APGA leadership and most of the traders have decamped from APGA to other parties.
"Other markets have transformers installed in their markets and I will be the last person to ask traders not to pay stallage levies as alleged by Muofunanya that I told traders not to pay that we are private market," he disclosed.
In his reaction, the embatted newly elected chairman, Okafor, said he was duely elected but admitted that it was zone 13 police team that was the only officials present during the conduct of the election adding that others were mere observers from the market.
He however corroborated the view of Nweke that caretaker committee has been the major problem of the market and called on the state government to always go by conducting election to have elected executive.
He accused Chief Muofunanya of over staying his welcome having served for two years instead of three months as caretaker chairman