Peter Anosike
The Chairman of Electrical Dealers Association of Nigeria (EDAN), Chief Fabian Ezeorjika, has given reason the current executive of the association is building an ultra-modern secretariat.
He said that the secretariat would enhance the corporate image of the biggest electrical market in Africa.
According to him, apart from enhancing the image of the association, the secretariat would also be generating revenue as it has a big hall for rent, which would help to boost the association`s revenue.
Ezeorjika who is also the coordinator of Alaba Amalgamated Association, the umbrella body of the 16 markets associations that make up Alaba International Market, said that up till now, the only way of getting revenue in the market was through levies which are used for electricity bills and security.
He, however, said that with the completion of the secretariat which has reached advanced stage, resources would be coming that would be used for the transformation of the market.
On the petition that some money was missing in the association`s account, he said that it has become the tradition of enemies of progress in the market to be hiding under a faceless concerned Alaba traders and be making baseless and unfounded allegation.
He explained that the account of the association has not been audited.
He then wondered how would some people claim that money was missing and writing petitions without offering any prove of evidence.
“My brother, let me tell you the truth. Most times success brings envy and jealousy. There is no way everybody would be happy that you are succeeding. A lot of people are wondering how we are building ultra-modern secretariat when there is no money anywhere. The association levies N1,800 per member every month. This money is for payment of electric bills and security. So, good people in the market will tell you that we are literally squeezing water from the stone to build the secretariat because our executive wants to leave a legacy and also increase the internally generated revenue of the association that would be helping in infrastructural developments and other things,” he said.
He said that his executive is focused on leaving a lasting legacy and, therefore, would not be distracted by enemies of progress.
He disclosed that the patrons, founding fathers and other stakeholders in the market have congratulated them on the giant step that they have taken by initiating and going ahead to start executing the project.
He said that when the project is completed, it would have a chairman, secretary and other executives offices, as well as other facilities that would enhance the administration of the union.
Anambra to sanction market leader over revenue diversion
Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
Anambra State government said that it would not hesitate to sanction any market leader who diverts or failed to remit government revenue to the state.
The State Commissioner for Trade, Commerce and Wealth Creation, Dr Christian Madubuko disclosed this 
during a meeting with his Ministry of Environment staff, leaders of Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association, (ASMATAS) led by Chief Ikechukwu Ekwegbalu and other markets leaders in the state.
He said that government was determined to prosecute and possibly jail anybody sabotaging government revenue, urging the market leaders to remit all the stallage fees collected from the traders to the approved account of the state.
Madubuko commended the efforts of some markets leaders who were up to date in remittance of the government revenue and warned the dark horse among them to change or be prepared to face the wrath of the government.
He said: “Government will prosecute any market leader who failed to pay or divert revenue meant for the state. I’m ready to fight them and they should be ready for war, if they refused to remit government stallage fee. We shall sustain the existing peace in the market and we have created Peace and Conflict Resolution unit at ASMATA office to resolve all differences in the markets”.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Environment, Mr Obi Nwankwo charged the market leaders to keep the markets clean and promised to provide waste bins to be kept at strategic places at the markets where there was none for easy disposal of refuse.
He warned the market leaders to know their boundary in discharging their duties, urging them not to interfere in government matters, but should wait for government directive on who should be in charge of revenue authority.
Also in his remarks, President General of ASMATA, Chief Ikechukwu Ekwegbalu warned those market leaders who dragged the market matters to the Commissioner for Trades and Commerce to desist from it or be sanctioned.
He said that any market issue should first of all brought to his office where he would handle it and if it failed to be settled at his table, then he would be the one to take it to the commissioner for final resolution.
On the issue of payment of stallage fees, he said there would audit to know the numbers of all the shops in major markets in the state such as Onitsha Main Market, Ochanja Market etc to ensure that the market leaders remit all the monies meant for the markets.
Ekwegbalu, however, told the market leaders not to exceed three months in the payment of stallage fees, after which it will attract a penalty, warning against street trading in some markets.
Anambra: Over 3,000 widows cry to Obiano’s wife on plan to eject them from market
David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
Thousands of widows in trading business at Afia Coke Market, in Ogbaru Council Area of Anambra State, under the aegis of Chukeujekwu Agricultural Products Nigeria Limited, otherwise called “Many Widows” on Thursday sent a Save-Our-Soul message to the wife of the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano over an alleged attempt to eject them from their present location at “Afia 
Coke” in Onitsha.
A statement issued after their weekly prayer meeting at the market site alleged that one Ngozi Ezeonu built some market stalls at Sarkamori area, a swampy axis of the River Niger, and colluded with some government officials to forcefully relocate the widows to the area.
The statement entitled: “An appeal to save us from unlawful harassment and intimidation”, was addressed to the governor’s wife and copied to the Commissioner for Women Affairs, as well as Commissioner for Commerce, Trade and Wealth Creation, and was signed by the duo of Mrs Gloria Alaebonam, chairperson and Mrs Rose Igbo, secretary.
“We are crying for an urgent attention to our plights in the hands of people, who want to eject us from our market.
“Her Excellency, Nice Micro Finance Bank, Nise, and one Ngozi Ezeonu, constructed a market at an isolated area where hoodlums and MASSOB members have their base. This market is sited close to the dreaded Sarkamori drainage, close to the River Niger; and those that built it are colluding with some government officials to relocated us there, “ the statement read in part.
The protesting widows recalled that in 2016, when they were made to move to that particular site, the majority of widows trading at the area were raped while some lost huge amounts of money, adding that some were accidentally drowned in Sarkamori, a development, according to the widows, forced them to move back to their former base at Afia Coke even as some of them relocated to Asaba, Delta State, to settle for business.
While claiming that those that set up the new market did so for their own selfish ends, the widows said that urgent intervention by Obiano’s wife would save them from being deprived of their means of livelihood.
Commissioner for Commerce, Trade and Wealth Creation, Dr Christian Madubuko could not be reached to ascertain his reaction to claims by the widows.
The said Ngozi Ezeonu and others who allegedly built the new market could not be reached as well.
Meanwhile, when contacted, Mr Emeka Ozumba, the press secretary to Chief Mrs Obiano, said he was aware that the women came to the Government House earlier, when they aired their grievances.
He said, however, that the wife of the governor was not the right person to address matters of that nature to, since there are authorities constituted by the state government to look after markets in the state.