Tension and outrage have gripped Ariaria International Market in Aba following allegations that the former Commissioner for Trade and Commerce, Kingsley Chibueze Nwokocha, is attempting to reclaim control of the ministry he no longer heads.
Mr. Nwokocha, who currently serves as the Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, reportedly convened what traders described as an unauthorized and suspicious meeting at ENITONA Hotel in Aba — a move that has set off a storm of accusations over possible power usurpation and hidden political interests.
The meeting, held in collaboration with Checkbest International Limited, the firm handling the market’s remodelling project, was said to have excluded the newly appointed Commissioner for Trade and Commerce, Mrs. Salome Obiukwu — a decision many traders saw as both insulting and provocative.
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Several zonal leaders in the market expressed shock and anger, accusing Mr. Nwokocha of acting above his current office and attempting to undermine Mrs. Obiukwu’s authority.
“He told us he’s still in charge until the remodelling project is completed,” one zonal chairman alleged. “That’s not only disrespectful — it’s a slap on the governor’s reorganization efforts.”
Participants at the meeting said representatives of Checkbest International Limited announced plans to begin demolition exercises within the market this month, allegedly under the supervision of Nwokocha’s team. The announcement has further heightened fears among traders who say they were not consulted and worry that another round of chaotic displacement may be looming.
Angered by the development, the traders have called on Governor Alex Chioma Otti to step in immediately and caution Mr. Nwokocha against what they called “administrative trespass and manipulation.”
They also appealed to Commissioner Obiukwu to “stand her ground” and resist what they described as the old order of interference, confusion, and self-interest that has long plagued the market’s management.
Many observers within the market community now see the unfolding episode as a litmus test for Governor Otti’s commitment to restoring sanity and transparency in Abia’s trade administration.
As one trader put it bluntly:
“If an ex-commissioner can still summon meetings and make decisions in a ministry he left, then the question is — who really controls Ariaria?”
With tempers rising and demolition deadlines approaching, all eyes are now on the Abia State Government to clarify who truly calls the shots in Ariaria: the incumbent commissioner or her predecessor turned power broker.
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