Chinedum Treasure
The chairman of Caretaker Committee of Onitsha Main Market, Chief Innocent Ezeoha has vowed to restore the glory of the multi-million Onitsha Main Market reputed to be the largest Market in West Coast of Africa.
Ezeoha who spoke during the formal opening of the market in the year 2025 which was attended by Main Market Central Executives, Line Chairmen and Secretaries and other stakeholders said he would revatalize the largest Market to regain its lost glory.
He dismissed the impression by some people who believe that becoming a chairman or a member of the market executive was just to make money, saying: “main market is not a place to make money”.
Ezeoha said the focus of his leadership should be to service humanity, not to enrich oneself, stressing that since he assumed office as the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the market, his Committee has embarked on several projects that helped to improve the market and the welfare of the traders.
Some of the projects he outlined include provision of seats, public address system (PAP), fans, solar lights for the strategic areas in the market, renovation and equipping of Main Market Health Centre and attracted the installation of WIFI services from Federal Government for the enhancement of trader and business activities.
Other achievements recorded by the leadership of Chief Ezeoha were infrastructural facilities such as construction of road, one of which is the ongoing massive rehabilitation of Main Market portion of New Market Road, expressing hope that another major Road, Bida to Creek Road would soon be awarded by Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
The chairman said his leadership has restored sanity and orderliness in the market and environs by eliminating all kinds of extortion, intimidation and harassment by touts.
Chief Ezeoha said he has been able to address the issue of Johnson Street which has become the major centre of activities for the traders which Local Government and some elements in the State administration wanted it to exist as major road through which they would extort traders.
“But we are all aware that Johnson Street is where we offload our goods, open our bale of clothes and pack customers’goods” said Chief Ezeoha popularly called Ezennia.
The chairman said through his singular effort Onitsha Main Market was allocated 40 slots instead of 10 that was given to other markets during the apprenticeship empowerment programme.
He said they in the executive denied themselves huge sums of money paid by late goers that would have accrued to them by extending the closure of the market from 5pm to 6pm.
But he vowed that in spite of the opposition against the market hall popularly called “White House”, he must renovate it, saying that he had already sought an approval from the Governor to carry out the renovation.
He lauded his colleagues in the executive, his secretary, Boni Okoli,and entire traders for the support given to him so far.
The highlight of the event was enlightenment talk to the traders by the State Fire Service, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) among other groups.
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