Nze Herbert Chikwe, husband to PDP National Woman Leader, Friday, stormed Owerri Modern Market popularly known as SOMACHI with stern looking security men, including policemen challenge luxury bus owners over their continued operation at the place.
Chikwe claimed that the entire SOMACHI landmass belongs to him. Narrating the incident to Trumpeta, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Automobile Dealers Association, Chief Sam Rufus Osueke claimed that SOMACHI (Owerri Modern Market) was allocated to them by the administration of Ikedi Ohakim, who ordered them to vacate their previous site to SOMACHI.
According to him “A Committee was set up to relocate them to SOMACHI and the committee comprised: Eze Cletus Ilomuanya, the former Council Chairman of Ndi-Eze, Imo State, the Commander 34 Field Artillery Brigade, Obinze, Commissioner of Police, the then Chairman of Entraco, etc, as members. Hence the Committee on behalf of government agreed with Mr. Chikwe to accommodate them. I do not know what the agreement was. But we contributed money to pay to the government to be here. The government will tell us where to relocate to and we will not quit SOMACHI immediately”, Chief Osueke stressed.
Chief Osueke however said the occupants of SOMACHI are not at loggerheads with Chikwe, telling him (Chikwe) to be patient as government is making preparations to relocate them in no distant time.
He advised Chikwe to stop embarrassing them with the police and thugs. He said they have no place now to relocate to until the arrangement for relocation is being completed.
Also expressing dissatisfaction on the improper act of Mr. Chikwe, the Chairman of Association of Luxury Bus owners of Nigeria (ALBON) Chief Bencool Obiora Ezeanya and his Secretary, Mr Promise Okoro said they do not owe Mr. Chikwe N106 million as he allegedly claimed.
They said the matter is still in court hence Chikwe has no legal right to have done what he did.
It would be recalled that at a time that Imo state government under Chief Ikedi Ohakim revoked the Owerri Modern Market, but Nze Herbert Chikwe, the Director of SOMACHI Investment, went to court to challenge the state government action. Even as he claims that the court ruled in his favour that ALBON pays him N106m, while the case is still in the competent court of law awaiting fair hearing.
