By Our Reporter, Awka.
Anambra State is saddened with an anti-government posture of the traditional ruler of Mkpunando Aguleri, Igwe Johnson Mbanefo in allegedly supporting moves to conduct election into Aguleri Junction Timber/Building Materials Market Association in the area.
The government is particularly irked that the believed stance of the monarch is coming after months the government put on hold further market executive elections.
It was gathered that the State government stood down on election of a new leadership for the Aguleri Junction Timber/ Building Market Association and appointed Chief Nwabunwanne Edochie as Caretaker Committee Chairman for the market.
But opposition group wasn’t pleased with government’s resort to an interim leadership and seemingly got the backing of Igwe Mbanefo to thwart government’s plan and settle for conduct of a fresh election to install a democratically-elected leader for the market association.
But the anti-government posture didn’t go down well with the State government hence the insistence on a Caretaker Committee which is in line with its earlier position banning further elections in market associations until further notice.
The State Government, it could be recalled, had in a statement entitled, “Complaint against Undue Interference of Igwe Johnson Mbanefo at the market leadership of Aguleri Junction Trader/Building Materials Market Association” issued on the matter, by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Samuel Chinedu Ike, a copy of which was made available to newsmen in Onitsha, Anambra State commercial city, yesterday, stated that the directive of the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Trade and Markets, Evaristus Uba for embargo on market association elections is still enforce conduct of any election.
The statement which was copied to Assistant Inspector-general of Police (AIG), Zone 13 Ukpor, Anambra State; Local Government Council Chairman, Sir Ifeanyichukwu Chinweze; three traditional rulers of Aguleri, Enugwu-Otu and Ezi-Aguleri; and Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Otuocha, among others, disclosed that the only recognized leadership of the market is Nwabueze Edochie. The statement warned that government won’t tolerate neither a parallel leadership nor any unlawful election pending the lift of embargo on market association elections.
In the statement, the Government warned: ‘”You and your cohorts will be held responsible for any breakdown of law and order.”
