Tension in Ozomagala Market as Traders Urge Soludo to Hold Uba Responsible for Any Violence
By Eche Nwaobasi – Nnewi
Tension and apprehension continue to mount at Ozomagala Street, Odoakpu, Onitsha South Local Government Area, as traders under the aegis of the Ozomagala Building Materials Dealers Association have appealed to Governor Chukwuma Soludo to hold his Special Adviser on Trade and Markets, Chief Evaristus Uba, accountable for any outbreak of violence or erosion of trust in the area.
The traders are calling for the Governor’s urgent personal intervention, warning that failure to act could lead to the further escalation of ongoing tensions.
According to them, the core of the crisis stems from what they described as the “impunity” of Chief Uba in unilaterally dissolving the democratically elected leadership of the association and replacing it with a caretaker committee without consulting the majority of traders.
Speaking to journalists on the matter, the Chairman of the association, Chief Obiora Okoro, who is recognized by both the Onitsha South Local Government Authority and the Onitsha South Shop Owners and Traders Association of Nigeria, claimed that Chief Uba unjustly removed him from office.
He said that neither he nor the majority of the traders who elected him were consulted before the dissolution.
“He never consulted me or the majority of the traders who elected me. He simply imposed a caretaker executive,” Chief Okoro said, brandishing his re-election certificate issued by the appropriate authorities.
He alleged that Chief Uba acted in connivance with a small group of individuals who, according to him, are “enemies of progress” within the union. Okoro added that those Uba consulted before taking action were people with personal grudges against the association’s leadership, who are now attempting to benefit where they did not contribute.
Despite being aware of his legitimate re-election and that his tenure had not expired, Chief Uba ignored due process and went ahead with the dissolution.
“We, the genuine traders of these plazas, are begging our dear Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to personally intervene and restore sanity. This issue is affecting our businesses. We are tenants in private plazas owned by the Modebe family this is not a public market,” he stated.
Supporting Chief Okoro’s claims, other stakeholders of the association — including former chairman Chief Ferdinand Ifezue and Mrs. Chioma Nweke — described the allegations against Okoro as “falsehoods and cheap blackmail.”
They reiterated that Chief Okoro remained the legitimate chairman, having earned the trust of the traders through his good record.
“We are pleading with Governor Soludo to personally intervene and ensure that our constitutional rights are not violated by the Special Adviser. This undemocratic action does not represent what the Governor or the state government stands for,” they said.
Reacting to the development, Onitsha South LGA Mayor, Chief Emeka Orji, speaking through the council secretary, Mr. Paul Onuachalla, affirmed that the only leadership recognized by the local government is that led by Chief Obiora Okoro.
He stated that the council is committed to equity and justice and will continue to support the executive, especially in their ongoing renovation of the ten plazas leased from the Modebe family.
“The dissolution of the executive by Chief Evaristus Uba is null and void. The Local Government is the legal authority to oversee shops and plaza owners, as stipulated in the Fourth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Anambra State Local Government Administration Law of 2024,” he said.
It will be recalled that tensions escalated recently following the inauguration of a caretaker committee led by Mr. Tochukwu Umeh, allegedly installed by Chief Uba. Since then, the market has become heavily factionalized, with two opposing groups clashing over leadership. This culminated in a recent violent confrontation that left several traders injured.
