By Michael Nnebife
One of the foremost Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s support groups, Anambra Patriots for Soludo, APS, has embarked on a project to enhance cleanliness and decency among market women in Anambra State for ease of doing business.
The project, which is presumed to be part of the APS’ support to its master’s development strides across the state, was flagged off recently at the popular Coca-Cola Market, Okpoko in Ogbaru Local Government Area of the state, with distribution of thousands of aprons to the traders, free of charge.
According to the Convener of the APS, Arc Okey Ezeobi, the exercise, which he described as a Rebranding Anambra Project by the Patriots, also aimed at making Anambra the best state in the country.
‘Here, in the Coca-Cola Market, we came with a project which we call Rebranding Anambra by Anambra Patriots,’ Arc Ezeobi told newsmen.
‘We want Anambra market women to look neat, clean and decent for ease of doing business.
‘The apron, which we’re providing to them, has a pouch that as they’re trading, they can conveniently keep their money safe,’ Ezeobi said.
‘We are going to do it across the markets in Anambra,’ he further explained, and emphasized that the Patriots would give Anambra what it would take to be the best state in Nigeria.
Contributing, the Chairman of the APS, Chief Ejiamatu Damian Enekwechi, said the Patriots came to the Ogbaru Market basically to preach cleanliness and encourage the market women.
The Chairman advised the Ogbaru Market women to ensure that they continued to keep the market environment clean for their own good in particular, and in the interest of the state at large.
Also speaking, one of the critical stakeholders of the APS and member representing Njikoka II Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly, Jude Akpua, reminded the market women that cleanliness remained next to godliness.
Stating that Anambra was now clean and shining as a result of what he described as the excellent performance of the State Governor, Prof Soludo, in infrastructural development in markets, among others, Hon Akpua urged the women to key into the Rebranding Anambra Project by ensuring that they always looked neat and decent while trading.
Responding, the General Supervisor for Coca-Cola Market, Comrade Tony Obiajunwa, thanked the Anambra Patriots for the gesture and pledged the support of the entire traders in the market to Governor Soludo.
‘We’ve already endorsed Soludo for a second tenure because of the many things he is doing in Okpoko, particularly here in Coca-Cola Market.
‘If you look around, you’ll see a water pump which we didn’t have here for so many years before Soludo came onboard.
‘He came here by himself and asked us of the challenges we were having.
‘The following day, he directed his people to put up a water pump here.
‘Around the whole market, he has erected water pumps (taps),’ Comrade Obiajunwa told newsmen.
He further explained that when a leadership tussle was trying to tear the market apart, Governor Soludo quickly intervened and settled the problem.
‘For all these, we’re solidly behind him; he has no contender for the November 8 Election in Anambra. Any person saying he is challenging him, is wasting his or her time,’ Obiajunwa said.
Also, some of the Coca-Cola market women who left their wares to receive the Patriots, chanting praises for Governor Soludo, spoke with newsmen.
Among them, were the market women’s leader, Mrs Helen Eke, and a plantain dealer, Mrs Ebelechukwu James, who expressed excitement and satisfaction with Soludo’s Administration.
‘When we were expelled from this market some time ago, we ran to Soludo with cries, and he heard our cries, ordering that we should be restored and allowed to continue our businesses.
‘We, the Coca-Cola market women, are solidly behind him; if our votes for him before were 1,000, this time we’ll give him 10,000 votes for his second tenure,’ they said amid loud cheers by their colleagues, praying for more divine wisdom, protection, long life with sound health, among others, for the Governor.
Free distribution of thousands of customized aprons to traders at the Coca-Cola Market formed the highlight of the exercise.
