The newly elected President of the Management Committee of Eke Oyibo Market, Amawbia, Awka South Local Council of Anambra State, Daniel Nwokoye, has tasked the state governor, Chukwuma Soludo, on the need to check extortion of traders through exorbitant and multiple taxation.

Nwokoye raised the alarm in his acceptance speech shortly after he polled I28 votes to beat his predecessors, Peter Nwogbo and Sunday Nnamah, who polled 38 and I22 respectively. Other elected executives were: Uchendu Nwachukwu (Vice President), Vivian Nwabueze (Secretary), Ngozi Nwoah (Treasurer), Anthonia Nwafor (Financial Secretary), Nneka Chinwoke (Welfare Officer), Roseline Obodo/ Ikechukwu Ezeokpube (Public Relations Officer I and II) and Virginia Meniru/Pius Ugwueze (Provost I and II).

According to Nwokoye, the poor traders were made to bear the brunt of harsh and obnoxious economic policies of the past administrations, warning that if the trend were not checked, the woes of the traders would be worsened.

While recalling that most traders were yet to recover from adverse effects of the EndSARS protest, Covid-I9 and security challenges associated with the sit-at-home order of the Indigenous people of Biafro (IPOB), as well as the violent attacks by unknown gunmen, Soludo should think towards provision of certain tax waivers for the traders.

He observed that some traders lost their goods to the fire that gutted a section of the market in February this year. Nwokoye, who promised to eliminate corruption and other abuses of privileges in the market, further lamented the adverse effect police security check points have had on the traders.

He appreciated the need for security checkpoints in protecting life and property of the citizenry, but lamented that the security measures have chased their customers away.

The new Management Committee boss pledged to make out time to liaise with the governor and the state’s Police Command to see how a better vehicular and human traffic could be achieved without disruption of the security measures in place.

While calling for support of his rivals to enable him achieve progress, Nwokoye observed that the market still lacks necessary infrastructural facilities and called on the local and state governments for assistance. (The Guardian)