The Abia State House of Assembly has again, summoned some senior officials of the state Ministry of Trade and Investment, Umuahia to appear before it over petitions from some aggrieved Ekeoha Market traders in Aba.
A release by the Chief Whip of the House, Hon Munachim Alozie also invited leaders of Ekeoha Market, Aba, to appear before it to answer questions bordering on alleged erection of illegal shops and imposition of levies at the market .
The release further summoned the traders behind the petition to appear at the legislative chambers. The invitation is coming two weeks after the Commissioner, Dr Cosmos Ndukwe, Ekeoha market Chairman, Friday Dimiri and a group of four traders who wrote petition against them were all invited by the House, with a view to resolving the misunderstanding between the ministry, market leaders and the concerned traders.
It would be recalled that four traders operating under the aegis of concerned Ekeoha shopping centre traders, through their lawyer, Mr Victor Nwaugo had petitioned the State House of Assembly, calling for a probe into their alleged travails in the hands of Mr Friday Dimiri, chairman of the market.
The concerned traders, Oriaku Ugochukwu, James Eze, Jonah Enyaogu and Chukwueke Nwokocha had among other things, alleged that the Ministry of Trade Investment, Umuahia, in alleged connivance with the leaders of their market, erected some substandard shops in the market, some of which had allegedly collapsed.
The traders in their petition, also claimed that N8,000 levies were imposed per stall, N3000 up from the previous N5000, adding that several shops in the market were disconnected from electricity.
However, all the allegations were denied by Mr Friday Dimiri, the market Chairman.
