The International Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law
\n(Intersociety) has called on Anambra state government to allow traders
\nelect their leadiers and stop endless imposition of government appointed
\ncaretaker committees in the markets.<\/p>\n
The group made its demand known in a letter to Gov. William Obiano, the
\nState Commissioner of Police, Director of SSS and others, insisting that
\ntraders of the Onitsha Drug or ‘Ogbogwu’ Market must be allowed to
\nchoose their leaders through popular and credible election.<\/p>\n
Intersociety also further demanded strongly for scrapping,
\ndiscontinuation and abolition of all forms of direct and indirect
\nGovernment extortions in the Market.<\/p>\n
The letter, a public interest dated Feb.10, 2020 was signed by Emeka
\nUmeagbalasi, Board Chairman and other members.
\n.<\/p>\n
It insisted that popular and credible elections into markets across the
\nstate are a core foundation for peace and stability and must be promoted
\nand ensured by government at all times.<\/p>\n
“In other words, sustainable peace and stability are found in markets
\nwhen their leaders are popularly and credibly elected or chosen by their
\nmembers.<\/p>\n
“Where there are sustainable peace and stability in the markets,
\nsecurity of lives and properties are generally ensured and relationship
\nbetween government and markets including loyalty and revenue drives
\nbecomes popular, stronger, transparent and credible.<\/p>\n
It stated that it further maintained that imposition of caretaker
\nleaderships or committees and ‘procured’ extension of their ad hoc
\ntenures as done by the present state government expressly breed rancor
\nand acrimony and threaten the general security of lives and properties
\nwithin the market and in the larger environment or society.<\/p>\n
It noted it also promote social vices and criminalities, including
\nrampancy of trafficking on fake and illicit drugs and consumption of
\nsame in the Onitsha Drug Market.<\/p>\n
It pointed out strongly that considering the vulnerable nature of the
\nOnitsha Drug Market on human health and environment, the all-important
\nMarket ought to and must be governed at all times by the popularly and
\ncredibly chosen market leaders.<\/p>\n
“From background checks done by Intersociety, the last time the Onitsha
\nDrug Market had an election for its leaders was in 2014, which ended in
\n2018 with four-year tenure and since then till present, it has been one
\ncaretaker committee after the other, courtesy of the Government of
\nAnambra State.<\/p>\n
“Today, it is most likely correct to say that the all-important market
\nis catapulted back into the cave and has been polarized, privatized,
\npersonalized, deeply divided, corrupted, debased, devalued, mangled and
\nmanipulated.<\/p>\n
“It is also now reduced to ‘a Government Pit for sundry extortions’;
\nwith Anambra State Ministries of Health and Commerce (if not including
\nEnvironment) and Office of the Chief of Staff having a field day,
\nstruggling to out-smart one another using covert and overt extortion
\nbrigands.<\/p>\n
“From our several checks, the all-important market (Onitsha Drug Market)
\nhas become ‘a den of sundry Government extortion’ perpetrated under
\ndifferent branded canopies and one of such extortionist instruments
\nregularly in use is a SIENNA car, branded: “Anambra State Government
\nTaskforce on Fake Drugs & Control, Adulterated & Counterfeit Products”;
\nwith registration number: FKJ 268 EW,” it added.<\/p>\n
The Intersociety stated\u00a0 that the state government has fixed what looks
\nlike a kangaroo elections for the Onitsha Drug Market on Feb 28, a move
\nthat has made most traders in the Market to entertain strong fears of
\nexclusion and likelihood of being visited with an imposed and unpopular
\nleadership.<\/p>\n
Intersociety clearly recalls that by the existing electoral guidelines
\nfor conduct of elections into Anambra collegiate and direct market
\nleaderships, adopted for use by the Anambra State Central Market
\nAssociation (i.e. AMATAS\/ASMATA), Option A4 and 4-year tenure are in
\nuse. For instance, in the Power Tools & Allied Market direct Election of
\n2017, Option A4 was used. In the Electronics Market direct Election of
\n2018, same was used and in the Bridgehead mother Market indirect or
\nElectoral College Election of 2019, same Option A4 was used.<\/p>\n
“In direct market leadership elections, voters are accredited from the
\nLine Register. To ensure that, each line rep is invited during an
\nelection to call the names of his or her line’s ‘up-to-date’ members.<\/p>\n
“This is done one after the other till the last line rep is invited. At
\nthe Onitsha Drug Market, membership registers are maintained by each
\nline which also meets from time to time. In its last election of 2014,
\nvoters were accredited using same method.<\/p>\n
“In the election under demand, it is our call and insistence that same
\nmethod be used or applied. This shall forestall the non-consensus among
\nmembers regarding a generally binding by-law or constitution; or
\nreported attempts by some persons with vested interests in the Market to
\nimport and impose a discredited by-law or ‘constitution’ for purpose of
\nusing same to skew and manipulate the said election and impose an
\nunpopular leadership,” it stated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The International Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law (Intersociety) has called on Anambra state government to allow traders elect their leadiers and stop endless imposition of government appointed…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37924,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-71704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-other-news"],"yoast_head":"\n