ABIA: How Gov. Alex Otti Can Stop Extortion Of Traders - Ex- Market Leader, Emeka Enwerem

Mr. Emeka Enwerem, a young Abian, who delved into market politics at the age of 15 and transformed the market, has advised the Executive governor of Abia state, Dr. Alex Otti on measures to take to ensure proper accountability in revenue collection and to also put a stop to extortion of poor traders.

Enwerem while speaking with ALL FACTS NEWSPAPER (AFNEWS), charged the governor to adopt automation method of revenue collection, employ genuine individuals as taskforce so as to put a stop to double taxation and other forms of corruption perpetrated by market leaders.

Speaking further, the former Ube Danfodio zone market leader in Aba, appealed to the governor to ensure that toll fees are not collected from marketers on Saturdays, ensure that toll fees are reduced and also harmonise levies in the markets.

Asked if he would accept any appointment offered to him by governor Alex Otti, Enwerem said "yes".

Enwerem became market secretary between 2009 and 2010; became market leader between 2011 to 2014.

He said he delved into market politics at the age of 15, because of the harassment and intimidation of traders by market leaders.

"The intimidation and harassment of innocent, poor traders within Ube Danfodio zone made me to join market politics then.

"The traders there were being harassed and intimidated by the parent body of the market, Ngwa road market association. The leaders then, come to Ube Danfodio zone to impose some levies like during sanitation hour, they'll claim that they were coming to clean the two gutters in the zone. After extorting money from traders, the heap of refuse would still remain there and those traders would have no other option than to also pay for the evacuation of the refuse, these are some of the things that motivated me to join market politics" he said.

During his time as market leader, Enwerem ensured that heaps of refuse were evacuated from the market; traders were no longer extorted, installation of 7 street lights for security purposes, recruitment of security men who were paid with security levies collected from traders which saw to the stop of incessant cases of theft in the market.