The Chairman of Enugu North Local Government Area, Mr Emeka Onunze, on Friday called for peace as he inaugurated a new caretaker committee leadership for the Ogbette Main Market Traders Association (OMMTA).
The inauguration of the new OMMTA leadership followed the recent dissolution of the previous caretaker leadership headed by Mr John Eze, at the instance of the state governor.
Recall that OMMTA, the largest market association in the state, was engulfed in succession crises in the last five years and efforts to conduct an election into its executive had suffered many intrigues.
The latest effort by the immediate-past caretaker executive to conduct an election on Aug. 8 was greeted by further crises in the market leading to court cases.
However, the state government suspended the election and sacked the caretaker committee following negative security reports.
It directed that another caretaker committee be set up to continue the election process.
Onunze, while inaugurating the committee now headed by Mr Cosmos Ezugwu, said that all he wanted was for peace to return to the market.
The council chairman said that the traders had bickered for long and needed to embrace peace.
He charged members of the committee to do all within their powers to achieve the mandate, as well as conclude the election process within the next two months.
Onunze directed the caretaker leadership to submit names of those that would serve in the association’s electoral committee for their inauguration.
Responding, Ezugwu pledged that the committee would not fail to realise the mandate given to them.
He thanked the state governor for the bold step he took to halt the escalation of the crisis in the market.
Ezugwu also commended the council chairman for swiftly inaugurating the caretaker committee, adding that they would not let him down.
Some of the traders in the market, including Mr Stephen Aniagu, commended the state governor for his timely intervention and sack of the previous leadership.
Aniagu said that the move had amplified the confidence of the traders in the leadership style of the governor.
He said that all the traders wanted is the freedom to choose their leaders, adding that it was not in the interest of anyone for OMMTA to remain in crisis. (NAN)
