Crisis loom as Abuja traders scramble for leadership of Gudu market

It is worrisome to see union leaders in markets across the country singing war songs due to disagreement over who occupies what position of authority in the markets.

In Gudu market for instance, The Daily Times gathered that traders are ready to take up arms against each other on choices of who takes over the mantle of leadership in the market from the outgoing chairman, following his decision to handover to a new leader.

To this end, the outgoing Chairman of Gudu Amalgamated Traders Association, Mr. Bartholomew Ezike gave insight into what outsiders see as leadership tussle in the market

“Those who chose to fight the outgoing executive in the market are doing that because we refused to concede to their evil plot to rig the coming election in their favour. They wanted us to violate our own constitution to suite ambition. They want touts and other people who are not qualified to vote during the election, so that they will have their way, but we insisted that the supremacy of our constitution must prevail.

“Not satisfied with our resolve to defend our constitution, they decided to involve external forces to arm-twist us to yield to their skirmishes.

We started the transition process in 2013 and in 2015 we constituted electoral committee and sold indication of interest form to those who are desirous of taking part in the election. In the cause of all these, some disgruntled elements in the market decided to write petition against me and that was how what those of you in the media chose to refer to as crisis in Gudu market started.”

Chief Ezike nonetheless, lamented alleged undue interference of National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANT) on internal running of affairs in Gudu market, adding that the national body is planning to foist unpopular leader on the market.

“From day one, the same group that wanted election rigged in their favour which I refused are behind all this show of shame in the market. They see leadership as a do or die affair, but they forget that it is only God that gives leadership to those he deems fit. They picked the indication of interest form like every other person aspiring to lead the market, filled the form and when they returned it, they mounted pressure on me to compel some individuals who are invariably more popular and acceptable to the people to drop their aspiration.

“But I told them I cannot do that because I do not have the moral right to compel any candidate to shelve his interest to contest for leadership position in the market. I however, advised them to go and campaign, as the election will be transparently conducted. I also informed them that the traders will be allowed to choose their leader and not some group imposing someone on them. I will not encourage any process that will recruit leaders from back door.

“And having advised them thus, they went out of their way to write petition against me to the National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANT) which of course is an external body. They did this without exploring the internal mechanism as spelt out by our constitution. The National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANT) assumes that they are the parent body of all trader association in FCT, even though we existed before them.

“However, we are not quarreling over that, our concern is the way and manner they are moving around in the markets trying to unseat constituted authorities and at same time attempting to impose alternative leaders that will be loyal to them and their course.

“We will not allow that in Gudu market because we have a constitution that guides us. After all those parading themselves as national executives have no shops in Gudu market and therefore not qualified to decide who become leaders in this market.

“If they think that they can impose those disgruntled elements as leaders in this market, then they must think twice as that will just amount to wishful thinking or dreams. They come here regularly to hold meetings against the legitimate executive of this market as if they have shops here or able to assist us to resolve any crisis.

“When our market was closed down for two weeks because of the security issue we had with the Brigade of Guards over installation CCTV, we did not see any group that calls itself NANT joining forces with us to solve the problem. We suffered it alone, we contributed money amongst ourselves and we were able to solve the problem in collaboration with Abuja Market Management and the market was reopened.

Asked whether he is interested in a second term, Ezike said he had achieved 90 per cent of his vision and therefore not interested in seeking reelection.

“In 2014, I made it clear to everybody in the market that I will not seek reelection. I have fulfilled the mission that God assigned me to accomplish in this market. The Secretary General has also expressed his decision not to seek another mandate. We are satisfied with the level of achievements we recorded during our time as the executive of the market. Gudu market took off in 2006 following a demolition exercise of the then FCT administration.

“Our market was not the only market that took off in 2006, but we are enjoying huge patronage from customers, the market has over 600 luck-up shops and none is vacant, there are some markets around Abuja that do not have the number of shops we have here yet some of them are unoccupied.  Within the time under review, we have not had any form of breakdown of law and order, our traders are successful. In the past, we have only two or three persons in the markets who are importers but today we have over 250, traders who are now full time importers.

“On a daily basis, containers are being offloaded in this market and people are enjoying it. It is God’s doing and we are proud to say that these noble achievements were recorded during our regime.

“The only thing we started which we have not been able to conclude is the issue of touting in the market. Touting is bringing bad image to this market, we are pained each time we see security operatives come into this market to arrest some of them on account of arm robbery and at the end of the day it is confirmed to be true. It then means that they have other business at night, and come here in the day to take over, we would not allow that to happen and that is why we are working with security agent to rid the market of these touts.

“Unfortunately, it is these same group of miscreants that some of those aspiring to lead us are collaborating with to win election. Some of them have been here for more than six years and have never participated in our meetings, they have not deemed it necessary to pay the five hundred naira registration fee in order to become members and suddenly they want to be our members, so that they will vote in the coming election.

“Our constitution stipulates that for you to be able to vote and be voted for, you must have been a member for one year. However, these people are coming for registration few months to the election and expect us to allow them to vote, that would amount to a breach of our constitution and we would not condone it.” He concluded.’

However, reacting to the claims, Chairman of National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANT) Abuja Chapter Mr. Edozie Ugwu said that the national body was only trying to broker peace to avoid impending bloodshed that was looming in the Gudu Market as a result of leadership tussle.

“We were compelled to intervene in the crisis because of a petition from a faction of aggrieved traders in the market,” Ugwu said.