By Chimaobi Nwaiwu
Nnewi—A wired and wireless digital video surveillance service provider and contractor, Metro Digital Mobile, Limited, MDM, has moved to shut down Onitsha main market to recover alleged N72 million debt the traders owe it.
The company had signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, in 2012, to design, install and manage digital security video camera network in 49 Anambra markets with the Amalgamated Markets Traders Association Anambra State, AMATAS and Anambra State Government, through the Office of Special Adviser on Parks and Markets.
However, the Onitsha main market being the biggest market in the state, was used for the pilot project and it was agreed that the traders would be paying monthly N100 Security Camera Maintenance Levy, popularly known in the market as CCTV Security Camera Levy.
Addressing newsmen, yesterday, Managing Director of MBM, Mr. Oliver Uzochukwu, and his Technical Partner and Managing Director of IPX Voice Limited, United Kingdom, Mr. John Bean, accused Onitsha Main Market Amalgamated Traders Union, OMMATU, of collecting the N100 levy with over 20,000 copies of receipt and refusing to pay them.
He said: “OMATU leadership has collected N100 from each of the over 30,000 traders in the market, with over 20,000 copies of receipts we supplied them to facilitate payment, but failed to remit into our account N72 million being two years arrears of security camera levy they owe us.”