By Polycarp Ifeanyi, Onitsha
The Counsel to Electronics Dealers Association Stakeholders in Ogbaru Local Government Area, near Onitsha, Anambra State, Chief Ugo Ugwunnadi Esq has asked the Chairman / Administrator of Electronics Dealers Market, Chief Donatus Obi, to desist with immediate effect from parading himself as the Caretaker Chairman/Administrator of the market.
Recall that Anambra State Government through the permanent Secretary to Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Samuel Chinedu Ike Esq in a letter dated on August 16, 2023 confirmed that Obi and two of his members were not to run the affairs of the Market but purely to collect Government Internally Generated Revenue ( IGR).
In a letter signed by Chief Ugo Ugwunnadi ACArb, against this backdrop asked Obi to immediately “stop parading himself or allow himself to be paraded or taking actions/steps, calling and holding any meeting, constituting any committee whosoever as the Caretaker Chairman/administrator of Electronics Dealers Association, Onitsha”.
Chief Obi was also told in the letter dated August 29, 2023, to refund within seven days of receiving the letter all the money he collected/extorted from the members of Electronics Dealers Association since he took up the office till date.
He equally put Obi on notice that “all committees, appointments,and actions he has taken so far with respect to the Electronics Dealers Association are void and of no legal effect”;, saying that all such committees stand dissolved immediately.
Obi was also asked to return to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the association, all properties and documents in his custody immediately he received the letter.
But failure to do so , said the legal practitioner, Obi would be treated as having committed crime and followed up as such among other demands they made.
Reliable sources in the market disclosed that Sir. Obi embarked on collecting both Internally Generated Revenue and other revenues in the market.
Unfortunately, when a Senior stakeholder in the Market, Mr. Ifechukwu Anozie, went to serve Obi the letter on Wednesday, he used vigilante to arrest and detain him.
When pressure was put on him to release Mr. Anozie as a face saving measure, he took Anozie to Okpoko Police Station where a complaint of breach of peace was made against him.
When newsmen called Obi to react on the issue, he said he was in a meeting somewhere and would return the call, a promise he did not fulfill till the time of going to the press.
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