ASAGBA OF ASABA MAKES CASE FOR WOMEN TO TAKE BACK THEIR DOMINANCE OF TRADING

The Asagba of Asaba, Professor Chike Edozien, has urged the National Association of Traders and Market Leaders of Nigeria to help women to take back their leading position in trading in markets across the country.

Asagba Prof Chike Edozien, who made the call on Wednesday when members of the Board of Trustees and National Executive Committee of the Association, led by the National President, Barr (Chief) Chinwe Monu-Olarewaju, paid him a courtesy visit, noted that the old order of women being in the front burner of trading had been eroded by the dominance of men in the traditional act of buying and selling.

The Asaba King said the men had more financial strength to trade than women, a situation he pointed out had made the men mainly big shop owners snd wholesale traders and the women retailers and petty traders, which he said was against the old order.

Asagba Prof Chike Edozien said the solution to that was to strengthen the women financially to expand their trades and suggested that NATMAC should encourage traders, mostly the women, to form cooperative societies to be able to muster the funds to boost their trades and bounce back to relevance in marketing.

He congratulated Chief Chinwe Monu-Olarewaju, the Omeogor of Asaba, for being the first woman from the South South to be crowned Iyaoloja of Nigeria after the position had been in the South West for 23 years, saying the recognition was justified because of the historical importance of Asaba in the Nigerian setting.

In her remarks, the Iyaoloja, Chief Chinwe Monu-Olarewaju, said the Association was working to sustain the old order by recognizing the roles of the Omus, especially in the Anioma area of Delta North senatorial district.

The Omeogor of Asaba recalled how the women of old had trading as their major occupation, with which they were able to send their children to school, assuring that the body would restructure the markets in such a manner that women traders would have added value for their trades.

She told the Asagba that the Association had earlier before the courtesy visit commissioned its national office in Asaba, with three guest rooms, from where most of the activities of the Association would be coordinated.

The Iyaoloja emphasized that the Association was non partisan and would not allow any politician to use its members to score political points, even as she said every trader was free to vote for whoever he or she liked.

Present on the occasion were a former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Franc Enekorogha; a one-time Minister of Women Affairs, Chief Josephine Anenih, the National Vice Chairman, NACCIMA, Prince David Iweta; the leader of Otu Ihaza Ahaba, Obi Benibe Ugboko; Chief (Engr) Christopher Chukwurah, among others.

On the Association’s side were the National Secretary, Chief Idowu Alonge; Delta President, Mrs Doris Efeture; Kogi President, Mrs Caroline Adegboye; Akwa Ibom President, Mrs Effiong Bassey; Ondo President, Princess Adenike Aroloye, represented by Olori Akinlosotu Lizzy; Mrs Winifred Balogun, representing BoT North Central; Oriade Peters, representing North East; Mrs Ogunsola Oluwaseun, representing Lagos State; and Delta Vice President, Chief Ogeh.