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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Economy & Trade

Enugu sacks market leaders

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • The Enugu State government has sacked the elected leadership of the Orba Modern Market Traders Association, despite a subsisting court order.
  • A High Court had previously ruled that the state government lacked the authority to remove the elected executives and awarded damages against the government.
  • The suspension cites "unruly behaviour" by the elected leadership, who were replaced by a caretaker committee.

Tension is palpable in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State following the state government's decision to sack the elected leadership of the Orba Modern Market Traders Association. This action proceeds despite a subsisting High Court order that declared such a move illegal and unconstitutional.

The Orba Modern Market was established with a $60 million loan from the World Bank and UNDP, facilitated by a former Vice-Chancellor of ESUT, Prof. Julius Onah. The project aimed to ensure the market operated independently of government control to foster trade and self-employment. Traders fully repaid the loan, with the state government contributing N8 million as counterpart funding. The Orba community donated five hectares of land for the project.

In the final analysis, I hereby make the following orders: It is hereby declared that the leadership of the Orba Modern Market Amalgamated Traders Association (OMMATA) remains with the elected executives headed by the plaintiff, Brendan Ugwu, as chairman,” having emerged on September 22, 2023, until the expiration of his four-year tenure.

— Justice Comfort Chinyere Ani (Enugu High Court)This quote from the court judgment reaffirms the legitimacy of the elected leadership and restrains the government from interference.

In May 2025, an Enugu High Court ruled that the state government had no power to dismiss the elected leadership or appoint a caretaker committee. The court affirmed that the leadership headed by Brendan Ugwu, elected in September 2023 for a four-year term, remained valid. The court also awarded N1 million in damages against the state government for its previous actions.

However, in a recent development on June 25, 2026, the State Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry announced the suspension of the Ugwu-led executive. The ministry cited allegations of "unruly behaviour" as the reason for the suspension and announced the appointment of Hon. Edward Emek as the head of a new caretaker committee. This action directly contravenes the court's judgment.

The Defendant, Enugu State Government, is hereby perpetually restrained by themselves, agents, privies or howsoever described, from interfering with or interjecting in the collection, management and control of OMMATA or howsoever usurp the offices/functions and rights of the plaintiffs.

— Justice Comfort Chinyere Ani (Enugu High Court)This part of the court order explicitly prohibits the Enugu State Government from interfering with the market association's affairs.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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