A new umbrella association to take care of all traders associations known as Akwa Ibom Traders cooperative association has been born.
The inauguration of its maiden executives with over forty eight members was held at the prestigious women affairs centre on Wednesday, attended by who is who in trading matters in Akwa Ibom state amidst government dignitaries.
At the inauguration, over one million eight hundred thousand traders across the thirty one local governments of Akwa Ibom state reiterated their support to the second term of Udom Emmanuel for giving traders a new face in the politics of Akwa Ibom.
According to them, Udom Emmanuel did not ‘use and dump’ them as had always been the case with the previous administrations before this one.
The reasons to throw their weight behind the second term ambition of the incumbent governor contained in the welcome address of the special assistant to the governor on trade and market matters, comrade Idorenyin Raphael revealed that Udom did not ‘only promise but fulfil the promise’ to them.
One of the promises they would not forget in a hurry is the provision of interest free loan where qualified traders are given amount from a minimum of N1m or above. To follow in that order are provision of a bus to ease their movement and the appointment of a special assistant on traders and market matters which previous administrations had used as a political issue.
Other features of the occasion were the inauguration of board of trustees and executives of the Dakkada women traders as the foot soldiers of the wife of the governor, Mrs Martha Emmanuel against the 2019.
However, the inauguration of the dakkada women traders executives had generated a fuse such that a faction of women led by a prominent women leader from EtimEkpoand president of AkwaIbommarket women frontline named Magdalene Friday Udom had to stage a walk out of the venue in protest against its constitution.
The travail of the women leader started when her name was conspicuously missing among the board of trustees. She had to force herself to be sworn in amidst uproar by her followers who were mainly EtimEkpo women.
The woman, who said she was instrumental to the appointment of S A, accused him of trying to side line her and her group. Supporting her was one Hon James Edet from IbesikpoAsutan who dismissed claim that executive members of dakkada market women were given a nod by Martha, wife of Udom herself.
Government functionaries present at the occasion were the deputy governor Moses Ekporepresented by permanent secretary,Mr. Nkopuruk Ekaiko and Mrs EkeminiUmoh, special adviser, Bureau of rural development and cooperative who was special guest to the event and representative of governor Udom.
The deputy governor, who congratulated the maiden executives on their successful election and subsequent inauguration, advised them to put their resources together in order to maximise the numerous window of opportunities provided by the government.
Assuring of any assistance from government, the deputy governor appealed to them to ensure that they steer the association in such a way that would enable the members to take advantage of the economic policy by the government.
In his post inaugural address, the chairman of AkwaIbom Traders Cooperative Association, com. Raphael said very soon the second batch of interest free loan would be given to deserving traders, urging those who benefitted from the first batch to pay back so that there would be enough funds for next batches.
The chairman maintained that 75% of revenue of respective local governments comes from traders, hencethe need for local government bosses and politicians to assist them with financial grants to boost their petty businesses, not waiting for the governor to do everything.
As mark of appreciation, he presented a giant sized portrait of her Excellency, Martha Udom Emmanuel to the special adviser for onward transmission to her.
The executive membership of AkwaIbom Traders cooperative association oscillating between forty eighty and fifty one said to be the largest in the annals AkwaIbom traders, was constituted to give the thirty one local governments of the state a sense of belonging.
This was attested by three of the newly inaugurated executive in an exclusive chat with this paper. They include Elder AsuquoO.Essang who is also the president of the association in UdungUko local government who thanked governor Udom for empowering traders with interest free loan up to a million naira and above to improve on their business.
He, on behalf of UdungUko branch, expressed support to the second term of Udom, saying ‘Udom’s second term is a done deal’.
Others who corroborated the ‘done deal’ posture of traders visavis the second term ambition of governor Udom, were Benedict Eshiet popularly known as ‘BENMEX’ and Henry H Udom, both agreed that Udom has done well for AkwaIbom traders as such deserves their support for second term as the saying goes ‘ one good turn deserves another’.
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