....As Bamanga heads market building committee
By Ikemefuna Ikem
Determined to open up their rural community for economic growth and prosperity, the people of Edem-Ani Ogwugwu Ancient Kingdom in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State have taken a bold step to boost their economic growth and job creation with a proposed international market.
The traditional ruler of the community, HRM, Igwe Samuel Asadu (Igwe Ogadagidi) disclosed this to Newsmen in Nsukka on Friday during the inauguration of the 13-member committee for the design and development of the proposed Eke Edem-Ani International Market.
He said that the market when completed will boost the economy of the community, add value to residences, traders, farmers, provide employment opportunities, as well as serve as a vibrant hub for commerce, social interaction, and innovation, fostering progress and unity among the people.
"Our target is to make Edem-Ani Ogwugwu community an international market hub with the proposed Eke Edem-Ani International Market and it will be the first of its kind community-based market in the southeast zone.
"We are well aware that transforming a local 4-day community market into an international daily market hub requires a strategic blend of infrastructure development, policy reform, and global marketing to attract investment and trade.
"We have carefully elected 13 member committee from all the villages that make up our community for the task of structural designing, engaging relevant authorities for approval, reaching out to our sons and daughters home and abroad, as well as our friends for financial support, and building the market," he said.
The monarch, who is also the Chairman, Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers and immediate past Chairman, South East Traditional Rulers Council, charged the market building committee led by Ozo Ifunaya Eze (a.k.a Bamanga) as chairman, and Mr Miracle Asogwa as secretary, and Hon. Ugochukwu Nath Ugwuanyi as deputy chairman, to reciprocate the conference the community reposted on them by ensuring that they deliver a quality job.
"You were all carefully and dutifully selected for this task based on your individual good track records, as a result, you are duty-bound to deliver to the best of your abilities. You should be very bold while discharging your duties and ensure you give us the best. The Town union executives are there to assist and monitor your progress, and as such you will be seeking and obtaining permission from them at every stage of your duty," he said.
Igwe Asadu commended the people of Owere-Agbo village for donating their land free of charge for the new market project.
Also speaking, Comrade Jude Obute, President-General, Edem-Ani Ogwugwu community said that the vision for the market is that people from other states and other nations will trade in the market, adding that the community has been well structured and repositioned to accommodate any type of business.
"We are blessed to have Igwe Ogadagidi as our traditional ruler. He has repositioned our community to the status of a small London. We can now boast of a tarred access road, a free hospital, a free food bank, electricity, adequate security, among others.
"So, our community is well and better equipped to host an international market, and by God's will, this our noble project will in no distant time come to reality," he said.
Responding on behalf of other members of the committee, Mr Eze (Bamanga), the just-inaugurated Chairman of Eke Edem-Ani International Market building committee, thanked the traditional ruler and members of the town union for finding them worthy to serve the community and promised to live up to expectations.
"We are pleased and honoured to be selected for this laudable market project, and we will do our best to deliver on this mandate," he assured.
Meanwhile, members of the community had converged on 10th April at the site of the proposed market amidst cheer and funfair, in a ceremony where they prayed and blessed the land in accordance with their revered custom, symbolically consecrating the project for prosperity, with government officials and other dignitaries in attendance.
The ceremony presented an avenue for the inauguration of a 3.2-kilometre asphalt access road to the community sponsored by Igwe Ogadagidi. The road, our reporter gathered was as old as Nigeria's independence, and had suffered successive government neglect. However, it will now boost and aid seamless access to the community and the proposed market.
The traditional ruler, however noted that some of his friends overseas supported him financially for the road project in appreciation of the State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah for appointing him Chairman of the traditional rulers council in the state, a position that had further exposed and connected the monarch nationally and internationally.
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