By Chikaodi Chukwuleta
National President, National Union of Market Traders Employers of Nigeria ( NUMTEN), Comrade James Chukwuma Ogu, has assured all the stakeholders in Anambra State that NUMTEN has come to compliment their efforts at making the market arena more conducive for trading in the state.
He disclosed this during the inauguration of Anambra State Executive Members, held at Horizontal Palace Complex, Awka.
The President said the union was a newly approved and certified trade union by the Federal Government of Nigeria, under the Trade Union Act, CAP(T14) 2004 as ammened and is affiliated with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
He added that NUMTEN registration was born out of passion for restructuring the larger sector of the Nigerian economy and for alleviating and eradicating the suffering of Nigerian market traders.
He therefore called for collective efforts of all the existing stakeholders in the market to come under one umbrella of the union, adding that NUMTEN, under the law has been empowered to bring to an end all illegal activities perpetrated by unscrupulous elements in the market such as mutiple levies, security threats, dehumanization, oppression and others.
Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Anambra State, Comrade Humphrey Nwafor said NUMTEN was affiliated to NLC and a child of the union and encouraged the executive to give the chairman maximum support for the progress of the union.
In his speech, the Chairman of NUMTEN, Anambra State, Prince Nnamso Nwafor-Orizu, said the union was the first of its kind in Nigeria and the states and that the main objective is to protect the interest of the marketers and their welfare, as well as advocate for their rights.
According to him, “the union is not taxing anybody but to expand markets to the rural areas, partner with the banks and other institutions for the good of their people. In the next one month, we will develop in the state and Nigeria, while one year in office will be a tremendous achievement that will drive the state to.celebrate us,” he said.”
Public Relations Officer of the union, Abiodu Olamide, emphasised that the idea of the union is for betterment of Nigerian traders, alleviate their sufferings, fight for their rights, tackle multiple levies, restructure Nigerian markets for better performance.
He implored all the traders in the state to register in the union, noting that NUMTEN has come to maintain peace and stability.
Also in her speech, one of the invitees, Bernadine Oji-Ogbuehi, advised the leadership of the union to always use dialogue, negotiation and collective bargaining as an instrument in achieving their set goals and objectives.
Assistant Director and State Coordinator of Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), Anambra State, Engr.Hussan Emmanuel, added that SON and NUMTEN have cordial relationship because a lot of marketers deal with goods and services, noting that SON deals with standard goods and services for safe economy, life, reduce the negative impact the sub-standard products may have on the environment.
Hussan, who was represented by Director General, lfeanyichukwu Nonso Okeke, said the organisation has three departments in Anambra State, which comprises of Anambra Region, State Office and Enforcement, and that each of them has their defined roles, responsibilities geared towards attaining to objectives, standardizing products and eradicating substandard products in the society.
He added that the Director General has assumed office years ago and that he has done a lot of things in eradicating substandard products in Nigeria and Anambra State in particular.
Okeke said that for the first time in Anambra, there is a department that is domiciled, which is Enforcement Department, that move around the state to ensure that products that is being sold in the market are standard.
Deputy State Director, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Anambra Command, Nwannennaya Chukwunyere, highlighted that the mandate of NDLEA is to make sure that the society is free from drug substance abuse, which is taking habitation in the society, such as cocaine, heroine cannabis, among others, which is even much available in the markets.
He added that the concern of NDLEA is that the markets should arrest, crucify and inveatigate all related cases in the state, like Main Market, Ogbo Ogwu, to make sure that markets are free from substance abuse.
In his words, “those people into drugs are moving round the markets thinking that it is going to be a safe haven for them. Whosever that want to do that should not be allowed,” he said.
He related killings, attacks, especially that of few days ago as something that can never be done without something that has to with drug abuse, saying NDLEA is in collaboration with NUMTEN.
Earlier in his speech, Chief Executive Officer, Mic Mera International Agency LTD, the chairman of the occasion, thanked everybody that graced the occassion, saying that NUMTEN, Anambra State, will be the best in Nigeria.
