– Members Accuse Commissioner, Head, Commerce And Industry Dept, Ezeala, Of Fueling Crises
There is palpable tension at the Electrical and Electronics Market, Okporo, in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo state, following serious agitation by traders who are accusing the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Barr Rex Anunobi (Sokom) and the Head, Commerce and Industry Department of the ministry, Mrs Anthonia Ezeala of imposing an unwanted executive on them in a bid to assuage their selfish interests that are not in tandem with those of the traders.
Some of them who spoke to our reporter said, the tenure of the Chairman, Engr Silas Eziokwu has elapsed after a 4-year tenure, yet he was recycled and imposed on the traders despite several petitions that arose from allegations of corruption and embezzlement of funds among others. Hence, the traders who have expressed dismay over the issue which they described as an infringement on their rights to choose who leads them, have threatened to embark on mass protest to draw the attention of the Governor to the matter. They have vowed to resist it through all legitimate channels.
The worst aspect of the unfolding development according to them is that Engr Eziokwu has resorted to sending youths of the area to harass, intimidate and threaten majority of the traders he believes are not pleasantly disposed to his current emergence, to the extent that the election for the emergence of the village executive was held in the market.
When contacted, the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Rex Anunobi, said he is new on the seat and inherited what he saw. He posited that when he assumed office as Commissioner, the leadership of all the markets had been dissolved. And because nature abhors vacuum, people were appointed on interim capacity, pending when election for substantive executives will be held. To this end, those who are aggrieved or are not comfortable with some issues should either wait till elections are held or alternatively forward their petitions to the appropriate channels, pointing out that he as a person believes in justice and runs an open door policy that has no room for partiality.
Some of the traders who alligned with the commissioner’s statement said they are confident that he is neither aware nor part of the atrocities perpetrated by Mrs Ezeala who they accused of conniving with the chairman she imposed on them to fraudulently sell shops in the market.
A copy of the letter of reappointment dated November 21, 2024, signed by Mrs Ezeala and issued to Engr Eziokwu, as Chairman, Daniel Ezeala, Secretary and Cornelius Madueke as Financial Secretary reads, RE: APPOINTMENT AS INTERIM MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (IMC) In line with the dissolution of the Imo State Amalgamated Market and Traders Association (ISAMATA) State Executives by His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma, on Monday 13th May 2024; and the subsequent approval of a Three (3) Man Caretaker Committee to oversee and manage the affairs of the ELECTRICAL and ELECTRONICS MARKET OKPORO, including the collection of Government Revenue and remitting same to Government TSA, I am directed by the Hon. Commissioner, Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Investment to reconfirm the appointment of the aforementioned to continue to manage the Market pending Government directives on election.
