By Nwabueze Okonkwo

ONITSHA – Traders in the commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra state under the aegis of Power Tools and Allied Products Dealers’ Association,   PTAPDA, Bridgehead market have cried out over what they term incessant power outage by the authorities of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC.

They said the absence of electricity in the market and the attendant crazy bills have become too inexplicable that they now decided tackle it headlong by themselves to provide an alternative source of power supply in the market on self-help basis.

•Onitsha traders

President of the Bridge-head market,  Chief Sunday Obinze who made the complaint while  commissioning an electricity project worth over N8 million   executed by members of the PTAPDA inside the market, said the transformer would no doubt, serve as an alternative source of power supply in the market, adding that the days had gone when traders folded their arms and waited  endlessly for the power authority to provide electricity.

Obinze who performed the ceremony on  behalf of Governor Willie Obiano,  however commended the Mr. Emmanuel Anagor-led  market union executive for complementing the efforts of the government through the project, adding that the project signified good governance by the leadership of the market through its prudent management of its resources which he said no other union in the market had done.   .

In her brief remarks, the Chairlady of Frontline Traders Association, Mrs. Martina Uzowulu, expressed satisfaction that the dream of the market executive to get an alternative source of power supply has eventually been realized, adding that the line chairmen would continue to support the  PTAPDA  central executive to give the   traders a new lease of life.

Earlier in his opening speech, chairman of  PTAPDA, Emmanuel Anagor had explained that the  traders procured and installed a transformer, provided poles and wires for the project to power its market at bridgehead, adding that the entire project was done without tasking any trader, but with only the savings from market annual levy.

Anagor also explained  the electricity project was entirely executed by the traders at the market without any contribution from government or Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, EEDC, except the EEDC facilitated the project.

According to him, “The project lasted for two years because we didn’t have the money for the project at hand, what we did was to generate fund and put it in the project until we completed it through the prudent management of the meager resources.

“So, it took us 24 months to buy the transformer and connected the whole union to one single central unit so that at the end of the market day we turn off the light to avoid fire outbreak or power upsurge in the market. The project cost us over N8 million.

“We remain grateful to the General Manger of EEDC for facilitating the job for us. When he saw our genuineness and openness, he helped us to make things easier for us. We need a good drainage system from the government because during the rainy season the market will be over-flooded. We used our meager resources in fighting the flood but to no avail”.