A violent clash at the Anambra State Market Amalgamated Traders Association (ASMATA) headquarters over the sharing of the association’s internally generated revenue (IGR), has left Chief Emmanuel Obiagwu narrowly escaping death.
Angel Network News (ANN) reports that
the altercation stems from a leadership tussle regarding the management of a 3% welfare fund derived from the IGR.
Victim of the attack, Chief Emmanuel Obiagwu, revealed that he was beaten by alleged thugs connected to ASMATA’s President-General, Chief Humphrey Anuna, after questioning the transparency of the IGR distribution.
The incident occurred shortly after Obiagwu demanded the association’s funds be deposited in an official account rather than Anuna’s personal account.
Chief Obiagwu disclosed that his personal effects, including N135,000, were stolen during the attack, and he has filed reports with the Central Police Station in Onitsha and Zone 13 Police Headquarters.
He said: “The unfortunate incident happened on the 3rd October, 2024 at about 12:15pm at the ASMATA’s premises, No. 56 Modebe Avenue, Odakpu Onitsha, shortly after I demanded to know why I and other executive members of the association were suspended.
“I demanded that the three percent Internal Generated Revenue (IGR) meant for members welfare should be saved in the association’s account and not in the private account of the President General.
“While I was being beaten, N135,000 which I had on me was stolen. I narrowly escaped death. I have reported the matter to the Central Police Station Onitsha and Zone 13 Police Headquarters Ukpo for proper investigation.”
Obiagwu called on the governor of the state, Professor Chukwuma Soludo to intervene in the matter to avoid bloodshed.
He said: “Your Excellency, since our appointment on 1st December, 2022, we have not relented in doing our best to see that your government succeeds in her endeavors, particularly in the area of revenue generation, sanitation and orientation.
“But the Anuna’s leadership style has made it almost impossible for the offices to work as they should. He sidelined the Financial Secretary, the Treasurer, the Secretary, the Welfare Officer.
“As a result, everyone is in darkness as regards what is happening in ASMATA. If any person raises any question, the President-General will say that the Governor mandated him to choose the people that will serve him and not work with him and as such not accountable to the executive. We want our governor to intervene.”
The ASMATA President General, Chief Anuna in his reactions, denied all the allegations, saying Obiagwu was suffering from nemesis.
“The evil things he has committed is against him. What Mr Obiagwu is alleging is nothing but lies from the pit of hell, our major concern now is to commence wide mobilization for Soludo second term bid come 2025.
“Some people who call themselves concerned citizens have been fighting us and alleging all manner of things against us.
“Truth is that our leadership has done a lot. We have been able to stop all channels of revenue leakages through which the so-called ‘concerned citizens’ shortchanged the government and ensured that every money accruable to the Anambra government got to it.
“My Administration has been able to check their nefarious activities, they are also in the habit of not implementing government policies but we are making sure that traders become part of the civil society.
“The allegations of increase in levies is a hoax, it is just a reaction to the way we ensured that every money collected in the name of government goes to the government, that is why we have been able to increase remittance to government from N400 million to N4.2 billion per annum,” Anuna said.
