By Chidi Ugwu
Ahead of the potentially delayed Karu Market elections, Mr. Augustine Obi, AKA Obosi, who is running for the office of the chairman has pledged a comprehensive transformation to restore prosperity and unity among traders amid ongoing leadership tensions.
Obi, currently the Vice Chairman, emphasized elevating the market to rival others in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, through total overhaul, including boosting sales, improving infrastructure, and fostering inclusivity across tribes and religions to end ethnic divisions that have regressed progress by decades.
In a chat with journalists, Obi declared that he had been instrumental to initiating structured market days in the year 2000 to make Karu residents enjoy a daily market.
“Before now, this Karu Market held every four days. But through through strategic planning and structured campaigns I was able to make it a daily market with the help of the others and the then traditional ruler of this area” he said.
Other achievements include advocating post-demolition leadership reforms in 2009 and 2013, securing a key entrance gate near a major route, and demolishing obstructive fences to enhance visibility and customer access.
He pledged that under his visionary leadership, peace would drive prosperity, reversing declining trade where sellers now struggle compared to eras of bountiful daily sales.
As current vice chairman, Obi lamented working under a chairman lacking vision, likening his experience to a poor driver given a faulty vehicle, stressing that despite executive agreements, the Chairman’s recalcitrant postures have been stalling trader-focused initiatives.
He recounted averting a 2017 religious crisis by supporting a neutral candidate via a gentleman’s agreement for rotational leadership, positioning himself as next in line after two terms, only for rivals to breach it and spark fresh ethnic strife.
Obi however, noted that recent campaign outings drew strong support from men and women, though election rules remain unclear from authorities.
Dismissing accusations of misappropriating 50 shops post a June 2024 fire, Obi explained transparent allocation via government-verified lists, tribal quotas and collective recommendations from executives.
He stressed no individual could receive duplicates given serial number checks, insisting that some of the petitioners either knowledge of how the authorities allocate shops or were out to deliberately misinform the public.
He further vowed to continue to uphold fairness and return the market to its past glory if elected.
