The notorious one day, one protest toga assigned to Imo State seems to have reared its ugly head this new year with Timber and wood dealers signaling another year of protest in 2014.
This time instead of the state government being at the receiving end of the demonstration, the State Police Command was at the centre of the storm.
About 1000 traders left their Naze timber and wood market to the State Police headquarters to protest the arrest and detention of the BoT Chairman of their association, Tony Nwosu.
The Timber Traders marched under the banner of Owerri Timber Traders Association. The aggrieved traders condemned the unjust arrest of the BoT Chairman and demanded for his immediate release and stop to further arrest of their members.
The traders who took position in front of the police headquarters and caused traffic gridlock for a greater part of yesterday complained that one Godson Okorocha who was a former union leader allegedly disposed a parcel of land belonging to the association and traders at whooping sum of (N40m) Forty Million Naira. That efforts by the unions to get explanations from their former leader proved abortive, forcing them to head to court. That while the matter was still pending in court, the said Godson allegedly defied court proceedings and went ahead to erect buildings which was resisted by the traders and youths.
In the process, the former Chairman allegedly resorted to police harassment, as their BoT Chairman was arrested with others facing police threat and harassment. The alleged selling of the association’s land was one of the plethora of complaints leveled against the said Godson. The traders’ view was expressed by the leader of the group, Ifeanyi Onyekwe, a former Secretary General of OTTA.
Addressing the traders at the police headquarters, a police representative in the rank of Deputy Commissioner enjoined the traders not to engage in violence in their conduct adding that police will thoroughly investigate the matter. The DC letter took few people to facilitate bail for the detained leader.
The PPRO, Joy Ekomoko in a phone interview told Trumpeta that the matter did not originate from the headquarters as it was from the national headquarters. According to her, the State Command is undertaking her statutory role of ensuring peace and protection of lives and property in the state.
