Chinedum Treasure
A total of 20 wheel barrow pushers and five indigent youth traders in Ogbo Efele market, Ogbaru Local Government Area, Anambra State have been empowered by Chairman of the market, Mr. Innocent Munonye.
While the wheel barrow pushers received N100,000 each as empowerment gift, the indigent traders who hail from the five South East states of Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo and Abia were presented with N2.5 million to assist them in their businesses.
Making the presentation during the market monthly prayer session, the Chairman disclosed that his father’s humble beginning while he was an apprentice trader informed the reason for the gesture.
His words, “My father was a wheel barrow pusher in this market when I was an apprentice trader in the market. If a barrow pusher can raise one to be a market chairman, then all hope is not lost for the down trodden.
“Others can still be raised, I also want some rich people to emulate me as it will help to reduce crime in the society.
“After my apprenticeship in the market I stopped my father from the wheel barrow pushing business and employed him in my shop. I was ashamed of my father being a wheel barrow pusher.
“He advised me to take life easy that I was still a youth then. Since then God has been blessing me. Imagine that now God has elevated me, son of a wheel barrow pusher to become chairman of the market where my father was a wheel barrow pusher.
“It is God that can satisfy everyone but what ever we realize from this market will be used to develop the market. I don’t count myself being rich by the money that is in my account but the number of people I have touched their souls, empowered.
“I did not hope to be the chairman of this market but divine intervention made it possible. Many people went to Awka for one position or the other and I told them that what they had in mind was to help move the market forward and as such they should join hands with me to achieve their target of moving the market forward. We don’t have opposition in the market.”
While commending Governor Chukwuma Soludo for finding him worthy to head the market, Munonye explained that the Governor has, through his (Munonye) appointment, shown that the poor would one day be rich.
He described the Governor as a workaholic who wants to better the welfare of the people adding that the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti and Soludo are two of a kind in infrastructural development of their various states in the Southeast zone and prayed God to continue to guide and protect them.
“There are a lot of things to rectify in the market, everyone in the market is suppose to have dividend because our market is a cooperative society,” he added.
The market leader also urged the traders to abide by the rules and regulations guiding the markets in the state hinting that governor Soludo has performed well in all sectors of the economy.
In his post inaugural speech, Munonye, pledged that all traders would be carried along as he is interested in the welfare of all the traders in the market.
“The market is a cooperative society and we will ensure that dividends of each trader gets to him and IGR of state government gets to it, and we hope to increase the IGR base of the market. We will even use our own money to make sure we realize government IGR.
“We pray for progress and prosperity of the market. Whatever that is realized in the market will be used for the development of the market and there is nothing like opposition in the market,” he disclosed.
“I commend the ASMATA PG for the good work he has been doing in the markets in the state, I know him just now that I have been appointed the market chairman, I commend the governor for finding me worthy through the traders in our market to be their chairman,” he stated.
Also the market’s Public Relation’s Officer, Nze Damian Ezeala, described the chairman as God-sent to better the welfare of the traders, adding that just within two weeks he provided steady Power supply and gave palliatives to some indigent traders.
Contributing, the secretary, Daniel Ibekailo, stated that they would leave a legacy worthy of emulation on leaving office as executive members adding that lack of peace is major cause of crisis in markets.
Also the financial secretary, Okechukwu Nwangwu, in his own take added that he never expected to be part of the executive and commended Governor Soludo for finding them worthy to lead the market.
The 12 man executive include,
Innocent Munonye, chairman, Emeka Okpala, vice Chairman, Daniel Ibekailo, secretary, Nnaemeka Nwaobi, assistant Secretary, Okechukwu Nwangwu, financial Secretary and Kingsley Uwakwe, trying.
Others were, Nze Damian Ezeala Public Relation’sofficer. Nnamdi Davies, member , Ikechukwu Kenneth Eluagu, member, Oranyika Chizoba, member, Chibueze Ajuonuma, Member and Oliver Ezeh member.
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