The Federal Government through the Ministry of Labour and Employment has inaugurated Anambra State Chapter of the National Union of Market Traders Employers of Nigeria (NUMTEN).
The inauguration ceremony took place at the Horizontal Palace complex by Kwatta junction Awka, on Friday.
In her address during the official Inauguration of State and Local Government chapter executives of the Union, the Anambra State Controller of Labour and Employment, Oji-Ogbuehi Bernadine, urged the new leadership to discharge their responsibilities cooperatively with the government, the traders and other relevant stakeholders in order to achieved the union’s set goal in the state.
She noted that the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to work with NUMTEN to promote social security benefits for traders across Nigeria through the union superintending over them.
Bernadine appeal to the new executive to always apply dialogue mechanism while dealing with issues between the union, government and the public at large.
She said government recognised the challenges, faced by the informal sector, especially market traders, saying it would therefore create more policies that would improve the ease of doing business for them in Anambra State.
While promising the Federal Government’s support for the union in its activities, the controller charged NUMTEM to always follow the laid down grievance procedure in resolving their issues in order to entrench peace and harmony in all matters.
She also urged the executive to lead with transparency, inclusivity, and commitment to improving the livelihoods of market traders across the state.
Speaking, the National President of NUMTEN, Comrade Ogu James Chukwuma, while appreciating PresidentTinubu for approving the establishment of NUMTEN and it’s consequent certification as a trade union, said the aim of formulating the union, is to alleviate, if not completely eradicate the sufferings of Nigeria traders as well as employers.
He promised that the union would abide the rules of it’s engagement, in addition to helping government bring down, high cost of items in the nation’s markets, to look after the welfare of traders/employers, restoring of Nigeria markets for better performance and result as well as curtailing the activities of illegal revenue collectors in the markets.
Chukwuma, commended the state governor, Chukwuma Charles Soludo for ensuring a conducive environment for the union before, during and after the inauguration.
Earlier in his inaugural speech, pioneer Chairman of NUMTEM in Anambra, Comrade Nnamsom Nwafor-Orizu, who led other members of the executive to the inauguration, said activities by the union had started in earnest, with the conclusion of work, on comprehensive data of all markets in the state.
He said that their duty was to oversee all the activities going on in the over 64 recognizable markets in Anambra State and as well serve as a bridge between the traders and the government of the day.
Nwafor-Orizu, while commending the National Executive Officers of the Union, the State branch of the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC, led by Comrade Humphrey Chukwuemeka Nwafor, his newly executive members, the security personnel, the media and other dignitaries presence during the occasion for their various roles in ensuring a huge success, urged Anambra traders and market leaders to embrace and identified with the Union created solely to serve as a bridge between the traders and the government.
In their seperate remarks, the representatives of the Police, Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Civil Defence, pledges to collaborate with the Union to curbed the activities of substandard products and drug abuses in the state.
The event also feature presentation of patrons and matrons awards to some deserving members of the society, including the Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Enugu Depot, Comrade Chinedu Anyaso.
