Afam Aminu Chimezie, Onitsha.
Traders at the Head Bridge Market in Onitsha, Anambra State have accused Chief Uchenna Okafor, former Anambra State Commissioner for Commerce, Trade and Wealth Creation of enriching himself alongside former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr.Samuel Ike by diverting government revenue to their pockets.
The allegation was levelled against the duo by the Body of Patrons of the market led by Chief Okey Ojimba.
In a petition to Governor Chukwuma Soludo signed by the Chairman of the group, Chief Okey Ojimba, Secretary, Chief Cyprian Umeh and PRO,Sir Peter Okala, the market patrons accused the former Commissioner of using his position and state apparatus to intimidate, harass and subdue traders against their collective will.
The group alleged that on several occasions, Chief Okafor disobeyed the order of court an Onitsha High Court Judge, Justice D.A.Onyefulu in 2019 and 2021 not to conduct election earlier scheduled by the former President-General of Bridge-Head Market Traders Association, Mr.Sunday Obinze in which he was a participant.
According to the petition, a copy of which was made available to Daily Sentinel, “Mr.Obinze went ahead to conduct the ‘kangaroo election’ which enthroned him despite an earlier injunction by the court not to go ahead with such an exercise which the court later nullified”
They alleged that Obinze’s rascality and flagrant abuse of court order was evidently backed by the said Commissioner, Chief Okafor.
The petition stated that the former Commissioner engaged in the anomalies alongside the former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry to protect their investments in the market under Obinze’s watch.
While exposing the corruption and diversion of government revenue at Bridge-Head Market, Onitsha, the market patrons alleged that fake receipts were issued to traders after payment of market stalls and other government revenue, adding that in some cases no receipts were issued after payment.
They further alleged that the former Commissioner appointed Obinze as Caretaker Committee Chairman of Bridge-Head Market Association shortly after he (Obinze) was removed by the court and also supervised another election for Obinze’s second term in office which was highly flawed.
While commending the State Governor, Prof.Chukwuma Soludo and the Commissioner for Trade, Commerce and Industry, Dr.Obinna Ngonadi for their wisdom in removing Mr.Obinze as the President-General of the market, the patrons however, called on the Governor to probe the activities of the former Commissioner and all those suspected to have diverted funds meant for the state Government as same approach may have been extended to other markets in the state where the state Government must have lost billions of naira to private individuals.
