By Chinedum Treasure
Former scribe of plaza market under Modebe Enterprises, Ozomagala, Onitsha South Local Government area, Anambra state, Chief Hycienth Obasi has denied alleged assault on market opposition chairman, Tochukwu Umeh by Government security outfit, Agunechemba, on the orders of the incumbent market chairman, Chief Obiora Okoro.
Describing the allegation as false, Obasi said, “It was not true that Umeh, the opposition chairman in the market was assaulted by Okoro, the incumbent market chairman. Okoro went for burial ceremony at Nsukka, Enugu State, on the day of the incident, that was last Friday.
“What really happened was that the opposition chairman is a stooge to the former chairman of the market, Okechukwu Muojekwu and both with their cohorts, are fighting to remove our chairman, Chief Obiora Okoro and we said no that Okoro is God-sent to us.
“Okoro procured the 10 plazas we are using today at N70 million per plaza for 50 years lease and the traders are happy because we don’t have money to buy one plaza at over N200 million now.
“This opposition because they are interested in selling our market know that it is only if they are in leadership that it will be possible.
“So they went to Special Adviser, (SPAD), and were illegally inaugurated because we defeated them in court as the Court ruled that Obiora Okoro remains the market chairman.
“They have gone to the police in Onitsha and zone 13 Awka and were told to give peace a chance that Obiora Okoro is the elected chairman and remains elected as court ordered unless they, opposition want to go to jail.
“As the police didn’t give them the support, they went to the Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Trade and Market, (SPAD) who despite court judgment, inaugurated them as caretaker committee.
“But the traders refused, including the Onitsha South local Government chairman, Hon. Emeka Orji, who told them that court order must be obeyed.
“Having failed, they went to Physical Urban Planning and reported that our 10 plazas are collapsing because of cracks that they should be demolished to save lives. What they have in mind is to frustrate the traders since we won them in court
“The physical planning authority came and find out that it was only plaza 77 that has problem and will be demolished.
“As we are waiting for physical planning authority, just last Friday, Umeh and his cohorts started ringing bell that the whole traders should come out that all the plazas are to be demolished.
“The market security rushed and collected the bell from Umeh, telling him that he has no right to ring the bell that there is a team responsible for that.
“Besides, the Physical planners did not say all plazas but only one and that they, the physical planning authority will do the demolition not the traders.
“Umeh then started dragging with the security man that took the bell from him and on the process a free for all fight ensued between Umeh’s group and the security operatives which resulted in Umeh and others sustaining injuries. The market chairman was at Nsukka for the burial when this incident occurred.
“You know Umeh will always accuse the incumbent chairman, Okoro, of perpetrating the injuries he sustained to nail him and have his way but it is not possible because the traders saw what happened.
“Umeh, Muojekwu and others did not even pay the N180,000 each trader paid to procure the lease of N70million in 50 years. Muojekwu has no shop in the market and Umeh is not even a member of the market. It is about two years in the market and did not even know how we procured the lease.”
Collaborating the position of the scribe, the incumbent chairman, Okoro said, “I didn’t know what transpired on the fateful day because I was at Nsukka for a burial ceremony.
“Court gave us judgment that Umeh and cohorts should step aside that what they are doing is contempt of court.
“What they are accusing me of by calling Agunechemba is to blackmail the good work the Governor is doing security-wise.
“Again, I can’t invite Agunechemba to assist me because I am not in good terms with them.
“I can recall when SPAD led them to my office and they ransacked the entire balance and took 10 of my executives to their cell in Awka where they spent four days. So how can I invite them to my market.
“I saw in the social media report where opposition said we are building material traders at Ozomagala and let me correct that impression, ‘we are an association, we are under the plazas of Modebe Enterprises, Ozomagala.”
A member of the market, Nathaniel Chukwuemeka lamented that touts have frustrated them from carrying out their business in the market and commended Okoro for procuring the plazas for them.
“An Onitsha High court Presided over by Justice Nweze, has ordered that Okoro remains the chairman, still these people because they want to extort and sell the plazas, have continued to pressurise, they have gone to police, Urban planning, court and failed, now they have resorted to use of the media,” he revealed.
