It was jubilation galore all the way weekend at Emodi Shoe Dealers Association, ESDA, section of the Ochanja market, Onitsha, Anambra State, when the chairman, Mr. Leonerd Umeh and three other executive members that included, Chizoba Nwokedi-Vice chairman, Amaechi Mokwe-treasurer and Onyeka Chukwuweike-Assistant secretary, who were detained on Friday by the zone 13 police command in Awka, regained their freedom.
Making the disclosure to newsmen as dancing, drinking and shouts of “Power Pass Power, rented the air, the Secretary General of ESDA, Obinna Nnobia, said that, the four of them have been released by the zone 13 police Command, Awka, over frivolous allegations of burglary levelled against them by former chairman of the market, Chief Friday Nwabueze Umeh,”
“The executive members were detained when they came to the command based on police invitation,” he stated further.
During the Friday protest that helped the release of those detained, some of the traders carried placards with the inscription, “Nwabueze stay away from our ESDA union, Commissioner of Commerce should come to our aid, pls Gov Soludo should come to our aid, sacked chairman has not rendered account for nine years”, among others.
The Secretary General said also during the protest that, “our former chairman, Chief Friday Nwabueze Umeh, who they call Ofiafuluego, refused to handover after nine years of his leadership and our over 450 plots of land he took as personal property.
He is still holding the certificate of occupancy, (C of O) of these shops in the market and has severally dragged the executive members, especially the incumbent chairman, Leonerd Umeh, to the police”
“He has also used names of four of our dead members as Board of Trustees, (BOT) of the market and made himself as the chairman of the Board of Trustees.
In his contribution, one of the patrons of the market, Chief Obedi Offor, said that, “this man called Friday Nwabueze Umeh, is the Boko Haram and terrorist we have in our market”
“He refused us to have rest in this market for over nine years now. He is behind the arrest of our chairman and three others.
He has committed all manners of atrocities in the market and he is holding our over 450 plots of land we purchased at Oba and refused to hand over since he left office”
“We urge Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, to come to our rescue by ordering the release of the detained executive members and to prevail on Chief Friday Nwabueze Umeh, to hand over our plots of land at Oba, to us.
He should also render account of his stewardship for nine years and hand over notes to the present executive of the market led by Chief Leonerd Umeh”.
In a swift reaction when contacted, the accused former chairman, Chief Friday Nwabueze Umeh, described their allegations as false and unfounded adding that, “I have no business with the detention of the ESDA executives”
“It is those the detained executives broke and stole from their shops that detain them. They went and broke 17 shops and l have no business with that”
Also on the 450 plots they claimed he refused to give to their owners he said that, “I am not holding their plots, the owners of the plots of land at Oba won them in the court, some of the owners are members of ESDA” he hinted.
On the allegation of using dead members as BOT members of the market he stated that, “they have no evidence to prove that”.END.
Pic shows the protestng traders (secretary General on white)Friday .
