We Can’t Fight Piracy Alone-Onitsha Electronics Market President

The  President  of Electronics International Market, Onitsha in Anambra State,  Mr. Izuchukwu  Okoye,    has  challenged the Federal Government to show more interest in the fight against piracy given its destructive  tendency to the economy.
Okoye  who  made the call when he spoke with newsmen in his office in  Onitsha  said they had been doing their best to combat piracy in the market, but stated that their effort cannot be enough without the backing of the Government.
He  said that when they talk about the the Government, they meant  Federal Government agency charged with  the responsibility  of  combating  piracy, like Film and Video Censors Board, which appeared to be in a coma for sometimes now.
He said that on their part, they have set up task force to fish out those behind  piracy   in the market but there is a limit to what they can do because they  do not have the  law behind them.
The Electronics market which  parade array of film producers and  marketers was noted for pirating films and selling  of fake and substandard electronics products.
But the President said piracy in the market has drastically reduced because of the internal mechanism they put up to checkmate the activities of  those behind piracy, saying that each time they found any of them they send them packing.
He   equally said  the problem of touting and selling of fake and substandard product to customers in the market have been addressed  because all those behind the ugly practice have been chased out of the market.
The chairman denied the allegation of imposing excessive levies on the traders and using thugs on their perceived enemies, saying that the market has the lowest levy in all the market in the State, with sanitation fee of N2,4oo, tax, N3,000, development levy, N2,000, all being State Government levies as the levies  his members pay annually.
The only internal levies, the chairman said they imposed were security, electricity bill and offloading, saying that there was no attachment and wheel barrow fees in the market.
He challenged those who accused him and members of his executives to show proof of their allegation  saying “they should present one person  we have  been abused or manhandled. If  they show one person, I will resign. There must be a proof. Some  people just want to fuel crisis for their own selfish  benefit. We inherited court cases, yet this market is the most peaceful”.
He continued “we don’t have any opposition. If there is any, it only exists in  the pages of newspapers and in  their own imagination. These people  are trouble makers. These are the people who allegedly borrowed money and shared it among themselves   and claimed they used it to build our market”.