By Amos Aar
governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State on Monday warned against any intention to cause trouble in Wurukum Market, Makurdi over the emergence of the newly sworn-in chairman, Comrade Moses Ornguga (a.k.a. Mose B), who received handover notes last Saturday and assumed duty immediately.
The governor, who spoke through his Personal Assistant (PA) on Market Coordination and Monitoring, Hon. Paul Shom, said Wurukum Market, just like all other markets, belongs to local government and local government belongs to the state.
“I stand here on behalf of His Excellency to warn that Wurukum Market belongs to the state and nobody should intimidate anybody that he owns this Wurukum Market. We can decide whatever we want in this Wurukum Market. We will not accept that. If anybody tries to do that, we are going to arrest that person and that person will go to jail. I warn you, stay away from Wurukum Market, we want peace in Wurukum Market. Let everybody trade in peace, make money, buy cars, build houses, marry and flourish,” the PA cautioned.
He announced that the state government would soon launch 38/47 new bags and a unified measure for all markets across the state to ensure uniformity in the measurement of grains.
Also speaking, the caretaker chairman of Makurdi local government, Hon. James Dwem, represented by his Personal Assistant, Mr Kubua Alexander, expressed joy that Wurukum Market was able to conduct its elections and hand over successfully to a new Exco.
He, however, advised marketers to always solve their problems to avoid government’s interference. “I want to advise; it is marketers that cause their problems themselves. Unions have their rules and regulations that govern them. I happen to go through it over and over. Anytime you want to do elections after four years, try to follow the rules so that there will be no problem. By the time you try to keep it aside to do what you want, it causes problem and pushes you to the government where government may take a decision that you don’t want,” Kubua stated. He tasked the new chairman to reduce multiple taxes in the Wurukum Market which the traders had been crying about for long.
Recall that Hon. Dwem was accused of allegedly having interest in a particular candidate during the just concluded elections and attempting to stop the inauguration of Moses Ornguga who was however sworn in seven days after his counterparts from other markets had been sworn in.
In his address, the new chairman, Comrade Moses Orngunga, who declined comment on the handover report said he would first study it before making any response to the leadership of the traders’ union.
Ornguga, who appreciated Governor Alia for constructing a water channel in front of the Wurukum Market appealed to him to also construct the Swange Market-Logo 1 road in order to control erosion. He also requested the governor to sink a borehole, provide security, electrify the market and provide at least one transformer for the market.
The chairman performed his first function shortly after he had received handover notes from his predecessor, Mrs Mnguchian Timbir, by inaugurating a market monitoring committee set up by Makurdi local government to work with the Wurukum Market Exco.
