The traditional ruler of Mkpunando Aguleri in Anambra East coast Government Area of Anambra State, Igwe Johnson Mbanefo is unconsciously walking himself into murcky waters, without figuring out the dire consequences for his throne.
Trouble started few weeks ago, when a group with intent to ensure facilitation of democratically-elected leadership for Aguleri Junction Timber/Building Materials Market Association.
To achieve the bid, the group is believed to have swayed the emotion of the traditional ruler to their side.
However, the Professor Chukwuma Soludo governnment is not pleased with the move by the group and the monarch which it terms anti-government posture.
Recall that that the State government had few months ago placed embargo on election of a new leadership for all the market associations in the State, including the Aguleri Junction Timber/ Building Market Association.
Sequel to the embargo, the governnment appointed Chief Nwabunwanne Edochie as the Caretaker Committee Chairman for the market, pending a new date for the conduct of election to install a substantive executives.
But opposition group wasn’t pleased with governnment’s resort to an interim leadership and seemingly got the backing of Igwe tMbanefo to thwart governnment’s planr and settle for conduct of a fresh election to install a democratically-elected leader for the market association.
The anti-government posture didn’t go down well with the State government hence the insistence on a Caretaker Committee which is in line with its earlier position banning further elections in market associations until further notice.
The State Government, it could be recalled, had in a statement entitled, “Complaint against Undue Interference of Igwe Johnson Mbanefo at the market leadership of Aguleri Junction Trader/Building Materials Market Association” issued on the matter, by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Samuel Chinedu Ike, a copy of which was made available to newsmen in Onitsha, Anambra State commercial city, yesterday, According to the statement, the directive of the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Trade and Markets, Evaristus Uba for embargo on market association elections is still enforce conduct of any election.
In the statement, the Governnment warned: “You and your cohorts will be held responsible for any breakdown of law and order.”
The statement which was copied to Assistant Inspector-general of Police (AIG), Zone 13 Ukpor, Anambra State; Local Government Council Chairman, Sir Ifeanyichukwu Chinweze; three traditional rulers of Aguleri, Enugwu-Otu and Ezi-Aguleri; and Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Otuocha, among others, disclosed that the only recognized leadership of the market is Nwabueze Edochie. The statement warned that government won’t tolerate neither a parallel leadership nor any unlawful election pending the lift of embargo on market association elections in Anambra State”.he said.
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