Alleged corruption: ‘we will probe Ex- ESDA chairman, Umeh – Onitsha South council chairman insists

By Cyprian Ebele, Onitsha

The Chairman, Onitsha South Local Government area, Emeka Orji, has denied the allegation that the Special Adviser to governor Chukwuma Soludo on Trade and Markets, Evarist Ubah, stopped the swearing in of executives of Emordi Shoe Dealers Association, (ESDA),  in Ochanja Central Market, Onitsha,.

He stated that rather it was the prayer session of ESDA that he (SPAD) stopped with the assistance of all manners of security operatives he stormed the scene with.

According to the council chairman, who spoke through the council secretary, Paul Onuachala, both the election and swearing in, including the hand over ceremony of the ESDA executives had earlier taken place, prior to the day that SPAD came to ESDA,

Ubah believed that he was coming to frustrate the hand over/swearing in and described his action as unfortunate stating that market affairs are in the hands of the Local Government areas and not SPAD.

“What I would say is that the ESDA election conducted in the presence of police and others was one of the best transparent elections by ESDA, monitored by the regulator of the Onitsha South Local Government and the security agencies. 

“And in that process, nine elected executives emerged. The process was very clear through option A4 system of voting, People contested and some, of course, won their respective seats. So, there is nothing like frustrating the swearing in that day, it was a frustrating prayer session by SPAD and his team.

“And that same day, the election was conducted, 20th November, we inaugurated them in the exercise of our power as contained in First Schedule of the Constitution of 1999, as amended, and equally, Section 4 of Anambra State Local Government Administration Law 2024. I have a copy with me.

“So I wonder the issue, why somebody is trying to raise issue of swearing in that had long time taken place. I learned that there were anti-touts, and some other armed men were deployed there by the SPAD.

“So I think it’s totally condemnable, the presence of anti-touts there, the presence of AVG there is totally condemnable and certainly provocative. But I reserve my position at this. I reserve the council’s position at this stage. But for one thing, the local government is perfectly entitled to invoke her powers within the 1999 constitution as amended and of course within the Anambra state Local Government Administration Law 2024.

“They should be aware that in the same law, in the same Anambra state Local Government Administration Law, the law empowers the LG authority to impose tough or even to prosecute individuals who either for one reason or another they are unjustified for trying to obstruct the local  

government from performing her lawful duties.

“It’s there in section 104 of an Anambra law 2024 so at this point i need to warn the managers of SASA, the managers of AVG (Agunechemba) to be very careful when they are entering or venturing into a regulated environment

“Parks and markets are regulated environments. We are exercising the same power NAFDAC exercises over food and drug administration. We are exercising the same power. The state government exercises over land. So this is our primary responsibility to regulate parks and markets. Anybody going there must, of course, ascertain the position of the regulator”, he stated.

 On the role of ASMATA he said, “First, ASMATA is a trade union. It’s not a government. ASMATA is a trade union. It is not their duty to pilot the affairs of traders, Even if they are there, they are supposed to be an observer.

“ASMATA is a trade union. Just like TUC, NUC, and the rest of them, they are a trade union. Yes, they are stakeholders. We respect them, but they are not the ones to manage markets but local governments. 

“What they disrupted actually, which is very serious, is the prayer session of the union.. And I’m surprised that the SPAD being a Knight of the Church is involved in disrupting prayers. It’s very disturbing. 

That SPAD being a Knight of a Catholic Church is disturbing a prayer session,” he lamented 

On the claim by SPAD that he is acting on the Executive Order from Soludo, Orji said, “There’s no such order from the governor. What the governor said is that all the elections during the election campaign period should stop until after the election, which has ended. 

The election period is gone. it’s no longer there. And the more important thing, what is the mischief behind that order?  The mischief behind it is to maintain law and order during this electioneering campaign period. Election has come and gone.”

On the former chairman of ESDA, Chief Nwabueze Ume, (a.k.a Ofiafuluego Na Okija), he said, “it’s like a virus within the union which needed to be either removed through therapy or by any means to get rid of him from that union.

“He was once a chairman. The constitution he used as chairman is outdated and long compared with the constitution that the union is operating now with. And he made himself a live BOT chairman. I have the petition that they copied. Okay, It wasn’t given by the trainers. Who made him? It was in court. They went to court and they defeated him in court.

“”Can Umeh continue to be chairman always, let him step aside, let the other people continue and he should hand over properly. We are the regulator of the market.

“The next question is clearly whether we might set up a committee to look into alleged non-handover of the union property by Umeh.. We’ll look into it.. He’s going to be probed. This council will probe him. As a regulator, we are going to probe him.

“We’re going to look into it and possibly if we found one thing he’s going to be indicted with. There’s no two ways about it. You cannot tolerate people going into the market and causing confusion here and there.  Why after serving the union, why are you still holding their documents?”

Recall that Umeh had earlier told newsmen that SPAD and ASMATA remain the mouth-piece of all traders in the state and that the local government has no power to pilot the affairs of the traders.

Umeh insisted that it was the swearing in ceremony that was to be performed by Onitsha South Chairman, Orji that was aborted by SPAD adding that Soludo issued an executive order that ought to be obeyed by all.

According to Umeh, the governor gave an order that no election should be conducted until after the gubernatorial election billed for November 8, adding that after the election that the order remains in force as it has not been revoked by governor or SPAD that is the next after governor in market affairs.

Umeh reiterated that once it comes to market affairs the SPAD and ASMATA are the leaders and accused Orji of saying that ASMATA and SPAD offices have been scrapped by the government adding that both still  remain in office.