ASMATA PG Inaugurates 10-Man Illegal Structure Demolition Committee
By Juliana Nwachukwu
On illegal structures clustering all over the markets, the President General (PG), Anambra State Market Amalgamated Traders Association (ASMATA), Chief Humphrey Anuna has inaugurated a 10-man Illegal Structures Demolition Committee that will ensure that only approved structures are allowed to exist.
Inaugurating them at ASMATA Headquarters, Modebe Avenue Onitsha on February 23, Chief Anuna said that market chairmen must present to the committee, approval for structures permitted to stand when the committee storms any market, adding that without approval, such structure must be demolished on the order of the ASMATA PG.
Anuna consequently warned the chairmen to demolish all the illegal structures in their markets, adding that the enforcement team has already begun the demolition.
"I, the PG will approve any demolition exercise they will embark on and after such demolition, the committee will give report on how the demolition exercise is carried out," he said.
He warned traders at all the plazas that disturb market chairmen from carrying out their functions to desist in their own interest as their actions would no longer be tolerated.
He also reminded the chairmen of the need to ensure prompt payment of their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), emphasizing that those who embezzle government IGR risk jail term.
"Again, all the chairmen should not fail to pay their IGR and on time because if government arrests you for embezzlement, no magistrate will release you," he posited.
Also dissatisfied with the non compliance of some traders to open their shops on Mondays over fear of uncertainty, Anuna, during the meeting read riot act to them, vowing to sanction defaulters.
He reminded them that the state government has put every arsenal in place aimed at confronting headlong any forces preventing them from carrying out their legitimate business activities on Mondays.
"Consequently, market chairmen must make sure that all the market gates are kept open and ropes used to barricade market gates removed every Monday. If anyone complains about fear of loss of wares let the person tell me directly about it.
"Any market that fails to open will bear its consequences alone because government has placed security everywhere. You do not nurse any fear of unknown," he further warned.
*Juliana is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State
Comments
Post a Comment