Nsukka Traders Commend Chairman’s Re-election

Some traders of Ogige Market in Nsukka said Thursday’s re-election of Mr Festus Onogwu as Chairman of Ogige Market Amalgamated Traders Association of Nsukka (OMATAN) was due to his performance.

Mr Richard Ike, a bookseller, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Nsukka that the achievements of Onogwu and his humility earned him another four years in office.

“In his first tenure, he built a magnificent secretariat and a hall for the association. No trader contributed money for these projects, he used his initiatives to raise fund.

“He is humble as well as accessible to traders every time of the day. Nobody opposed him because he is a good leader.

“His re-election is because of his excellent performance in the last four years,” he said.

Miss Chinasa Oziokoe, who sells baby wears, said before Onogwu became chairman, there was perennial electricity problem in the market.

According to her, the outage was because of old transformer, saying it was the chairman that helped to acquire a new 300KVA transformer to the market that solved the problem.

“Today, the problem of electricity has become a thing of the past. Every line in the market has light, and it is the chairman that made it possible.

“There is adequate security in the market for 24 hours. If there is any problem between two traders, he will mediate to ensure that it is resolved amicably. “Everybody voted for him as an appreciation of his great concern for the welfare of traders,” she said.

Mr Vincent Eze, who sells assorted bags, said last Thursday was the first time election was conducted in the market for the past 15 years without serious quarrel arising from the opposition.

“In the past, OMATAN election may even result in fighting but because of general endorsement of Onogwu, the whole exercise went smoothly.

“It is Onogwu’s regime that actualised Nru Ikpa commodity market that has been on the pipeline for a very long time.”

Eze said it was as a result of Onogwu’s good performances that the state government recently donated a 32-seater bus to the association.

“Traders know that he will achieve more in his second term. The present administration carries everybody along in its programmes and policies,” he added.