By Juliana Nwachukwu :
The President General (PG), Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association ( ASMATA), Chief Humphrey Anuna, has inaugurated the new executive of United Petrochemical Dealers and Crushers Association of Nigeria, headed by Mr Onyekachi Nwafor as Chairman.
Inaugurating them at the ASMATA Secretariat on February 22, the ASMATA PG charged them to live by their oath of office and avoid acts capable of dragging them to ridicule, adding that they should key into Gov. Chukwuma Soludo’s move to restore the lost glory of the markets.
“You should be your brother’s keeper by telling your fellow traders the truth and see yourselves as partners in progress which is the APGA slogan of ‘Onyeaghana Nwanne ya”, he pleaded.
In his post inaugural speech, the new Chairman of the Association, Chief Nwafor, said, “What is expected from us now is that we will unite all the members of the market and make sure we follow government directive.
“We need mobile fire service which we were promised to get. We need permanent site that will accommodate the whole traders,” he noted.
On the allegation that the association deals on fake products, he denied the allegation saying, “We don’t produce or sell fake products, we sell processed products, that is already processed petrochemicals,” he affirmed.
“I will handle our opposition as ourselves and if any case that requires the attention of ASMATA leadership, I will kindly surrender to ASMATA to keep a clean hand.
“Once such case is beyond my settlement, I will involve central body of ASMATA to handle it for us. We come to support government,” he assured.
He, however, admitted that touts exist in the market, saying that they normally dealt with them when they misbehaved, warning, that now they are officially elected and inaugurated, they now have full power to tackle them appropriately.
“There is anti tout squad set up by state government, we will get their phone numbers to work with them toward fighting the touts,” he further added.
On the performance of the ASMATA PG since he assumed office, the new chairman said, “God is using him on the traders. He doesn’t discriminate whether you are rich or poor. Any problem you have, he will listen to you and solve it for peace to reign . There is peace in the market since he assumed office. We are happy that God gave him to us”.
Speaking, Mr Steven Uka, the Secretary of the market, added, “I promise that I will fully support the chairman, we are one body and will be working together to be in unity in order to get what we are fighting for.
“Before I was made the secretary, all of them knew me as a peace maker and trust worthy fellow, so if there is any opposition, we will join hands together to tackle them and we will take them as one of us, with time they will change from their bad ways, that’s our belief.
“Soludo is a solution to Anambra State problem, he is doing very well to Ndi Anambra. We are in full support of his work,” he said.
Also, the Assistant secretary, Mr Adolphus Udeh, added, “I am the assistant secretary of the market. We are solidly behind our chairman, if you know the nature of business we are doing, you know that whoever that abandons his machine and goes out, will lose a lot of things, but we wouldn’t mind, we will support him to be here,” he pledged.
*Juliana is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State