Traders denounce Ukaoha as leader, unveils caretaker C’ttee

By Stanley Onyekwere

Traders operating in markets and plazas in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and 36 states in Nigeria have denounced Barr. Ken Ukaoha as their self aclaimed leader, for alleged misrepresentation of interest.
In particular, the traders under the umbrella of National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) said Ukaoha and associates are not market men and women, as such lacks their mandate to represent them in any capacity.
Consequently, the traders said Ukaoha should with immediate effect stop parading himself as the NANTS National Chairman, because no trader elected him or any officer of the association.
This was disclosed in a communique read by Chairman, Wuse Market Traders Association (WUMATA), Okorie Ikechukwu Raphael, during a press conference yesterday, in Abuja.
In the communique, the traders announced the setting up of a caretaker committee to among other things, organise a national convention in a month time, in order to reclaim and reposition the association.
Okorie explained that it’s not a financial battle, but a move to reclaim the Association from the estranged leader, who had acted without their mandate for over 21 years.
He insisted that traders, who are the real owners of the Association should take responsibility of managing the Association along the aims and objectives of trade unio, and not personalised NGO, moving about dececiving Nigerians that it represents millions of Nigerian traders.
“A meeting was held on 30th October, 2018, in Abuja; and members present passed a vote of no confidence on Barrister Ken Ukaoha as the leader or president. He should handover all properties money belonging to NANTS to the caretaker committee in two weeks.
“We unequivocally dissociate and distance ourselves from the recent meeting with Mr. President (Muhammadu Buhari) at the state house, by Barr. Ken Ukaoha and Associates, we hereby declare that it was not the true representation of the Nigerian leaders, we never consented to that representation.
“ We therefore wish to inform all relevant authorities, the media and general public that Nigerian traders are ready and set to reclaim the Association for Nigerian traders from the hands of the hijackers,” the statement stressed.