By Favour Goodness
The disqualification of non- indigenes of Anambra state from contesting the chairmanship of Mgbuka Amazu General Old Motor Spare Parts Dealers Association, Okpoko, Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra state sparked off spontaneous crisis that nearly caused major breach of peace in the market.
The election of the leadership of the market billed to hold on Nov. 18, was however quickly postponed following the spontaneous protest of non-indigenes who vowed that the election would not hold if their candidates were disqualified from participation.
Consequently, the representatives of the Amalgamated Markets of Anambra State Traders (AMATAS) confered on phone with their President- General, Chief Ekwegbalu who directed that the election should be postponed to avoid breach of peace in the market.
The election was already on-going with the accreditation concluded when the Electoral Committee Chairman, Mr Romanus Omeje, announced the disqualification of two candidates who are not indigenes of Anambra state on the ground that non- indigenes were not allowed to contest the chairmanship of markets.
This announcement infuriated the non-indigenes who vowed that their candidates must take part in the election , since the market was not built by the State Government.
One of the candidates who was a former chairman of the market, Chief Ikechukwu Onuigbo, said the order was a strange one because it has never applied in the market since they built it.
.
He vowed that the order would never apply in the market because 80 per cent of the traders in the market are non-indigenes, who on their own built the market through their hard earned money.
Onuigbo said the order against non-indigenes not participating was a latest development which was communicated to them by an anonymous caller in the night of November 17, 2021.
He said up till the time of the ill-fated election there was no official of Anambra State Government nor that of AMATAS who has officially communicated them about the alleged decision.
Onuigbo said the owners of the market are 80 percent non-indigenes and there was no way anybody can stop them from contesting any position.
He said just as the State Government or whoever did not stop non-indigenes from becoming the chairman of Ogboefere market, Stockfish market, Owerri Road , nobody would equally stop them.
The former chairman said even in Lagos State, Yoruba land, non-indigenes were not stopped from becoming the chairman of Alaba International market and other markets which they built.
He called Gov. Willie Obiano and the governor-elect, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to remove this obnoxious and illegal policy capable of destroying Igbo unity and solidarity.
The immediate past chairman of the market, Nze Cyprain Ezechukwu, said disqualification of non-indigenes from contesting the cairmanship of the market was not in their constitution but a directive of Anambra state government which he said supercedes their constitution.
Efforts to get Ekwegbalu and the State Commissioner for Markets and Wealth Creation, Chief Uchenna Okafor to speak on the matter failed.
