Leadership Tussle Rocks Old Motor Spare Parts Market Nnewi

Traders at the Old Motor Spare Parts (Mgbuka) Nnewi have protested an alleged sit-tight tendency, harassment of colleagues with security personnel and lack of accountability in office by their former Chairman, Mr Chinedu Enyeribe.

ABS reports that bearing placards with various inscriptions, the traders matched from the market to Nnewi Police Area Command, where they said some of them have been invited for detention.

Speaking to the ABS after they were addressed by the Area Commander, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the market, Evangelist Raphael Nwufo, alleged that Mr Enyeribe was elected for a three-year tenure, but before his tenure expired, he caused an amendment of the market constitution and stayed a year longer, after which he has continued to hold on to power for almost seven years.

He said that when the President General of the Anambra State Market Traders Association, ASMATA, was contacted over the development, he distanced himself from the activities of the accused, reason the traders challenged his continued stay in office, resulting in Mr Enyeribe using the Police and other security apparatus to harass them.

Contributing, Messrs Chukwudi Mbaebie, Patrick Okonkwo, Emeka Okposi and Chukwukwado Emerebe corroborated the accusations and noted that Mr Enyeribe used security personnel to intimidate fellow traders, among other infractions.

Others, including Messrs Paul Agaba, Maduabuchi Odimegwu, Ebubechukwu Udegbunam and Ugochukwu Ndubisi joined in calling for the intervention of relevant stakeholders and Anambra State Government to forestall an impending breakdown of law and order in the market.

When ABS contacted Mr Enyeribe, who also introduced himself as the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the market, he said that all the allegations levelled against him were false, adding that those who are desperate for power hired crowd for the protest after they had attacked him at the market.

He claimed that the state government asked him to continue to stay in office because of his good works.

Regardless of the differences, both parties separately called on government to look into the erosion menace that has claimed shops in the market, to enable traders generate more revenue for the government.