TENSION HIT ONITSHA AS TRADERS SPOIL FOR WAR OVER LEADERSHIP TUSSLE

Tension   heightened  in Onitsha yesterday as traders of Abada Market in the commercial town vowed not to pay any levy to the government until they are allowed to conduct elections for a new leadership.  The traders have been having a running battle with their leadership over the delay in conducting election just as
they threatened that they will never pay any levy to the government until they were allowed to conduct their election.

However, in a swift reaction, the Amalgamated Traders Association of Anambra State, AMATAS, yesterday warned the traders against any protest in the state over their decision not to pay any levy to the state government. President General of AMATAS, Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo, gave the warning at the Abada International Market Onitsha, just as he told them to avoid any act capable of dragging the image of the state government to the mud, like protests and touting.

The crisis has attracted the attention of the leadership of AMATAS to the market several times and for the third time in less than one month, the leadership of AMATAS has visited the market to broker peace and to assure the traders that their election will hold.

Ezenwankwo yesterday visited the market again with  Director of Markets in the state, Mr. Michael Ozuagu, to announce to the traders that the long awaited election to produce their executives would be held on January 22, next year. The traders appealed to Governor Willie Obiano to intervene in the multiple levys being imposed on them in the market by the incumbent executive, adding that they elected him as Governor to rescue them when being made uncomfortable.