Chinedum Elekwachi
Leadership of Ogbo-ogwu market in Onitsha, Anambra state has raised the alarm over alleged plans by suspended members of the executive to cause crisis and breakdown of law and order in the market.
Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the market, Ndubuisi Chukwuleta disclosed this in a press briefing.
He alleged that one of them, Chibueze Adamu, barred by National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) from trading in the market several years ago, was spearheading the plot.
Chukwuleta said since their suspension, the embattled leaders were hell-bent on instigating crisis in the market targeted at toppling his leadership.
While narrating his ordeal, the chairman said the recent attack on him was to tarnish his reputation, calling for government’s intervention.
He said, “After NAFDAC’s recent visit to the market, some fake drugs dealers have refused to allow us rest because we’ve refused to cover their evil since we assumed office.
“They’ve been working hard to tarnish my image and reputation before the government and public.
“They vowed to make our administration ungovernable until we’re removed from office.
“But we’re not afraid of their threats as long as we’re doing our job. I was appointed to sanitize the market and no one can distract me from carrying out that duty.
Setting the record straight
Chukwuleta said the briefing became necessary following the attack from Chibueze and wife in a trending.
“They attacked me, calling me thief. I want to put the records straight so people don’t go with wrong notion about me.
“After signing NAFDAC’s undertaken with certain resolutions, including fishing out suspected goods and defaulters punished according to our law, we commenced raiding of the market.
“We were on the drive, line by line and shop by shop, when we got to Chibueze’s shop. When I wanted to enter, the wife blocked me from entering.
“As I tried to force myself into the shop, insisting that nobody is above the law, she pushed me which attracted other traders, including the husband who looked for what to hit me with.
“He quickly dashed out, calling me a robber. Other of his colleagues joined in calling me all sorts of names.
“Not too long, the whole episode went viral as they posted it social media.
“Everyone in the market knows I’m not a thief. All these are only targeted at defaming my character.
“They want to instigate crisis that can lead to anarchy so government will remove me for them to take over.
“This is the same Chibueze that a trending video exposed to be one of those banned by NAFDAC in 2007 for his involvement in fake products.
“In the same video, they gave him 48 hours to quit the market and the then executive mandated to evacuate everything in his shop.
“He became part of our leadership because we were ignorant of his sack from the market years ago. But thank God this recent attack has exposed him.
“We’re calling on government and NAFDAC to call him to order so as to avert looming crisis his actions may cause in the market.”
