ABIA COMMISSIONER ORDERS ARREST OF MARKET UNION LEADER OVER ... Read here.

A commissioner in Abia State  caused a stir at the Oil Beach market, Umuopara, Umuahia when she ordered the arrest of the secretary of the market Union, Mrs. Mercy Iwuchukwu.

It was gathered that some traders in the market had lined up yesterday to be registered by a rival party in the state when the commissioner who got wind of the exercise, arrived the market in company of an official of the People’s Democratic Party in Umuahia South and ordered security agents to arrest the woman.

The commissioner was said to be livid why Mrs. Iwuchukwu should allow her members to be registered by the rival political party, instead of the ruling party, an action she said negates why they were appointed.

The market Union’s secretary was reportedly whisked away to the commissioner’s office by the security agents where she was still being detained as at the time of filing the report.

When contacted on phone, the chairman of the Oil Beach market traders association, Umuopara, Morgan Ibe Chimaroke confirmed the arrest of his secretary.

He said, “I was doing something in the town and as such I could not go to the time on time. After a while, my mobile phone ranged and the message I got was that my secretary, Mrs. Iwuchukwu had been arrested.

“I rushed to the market immediately and was told that a serving commissioner in the state with some officials of the ruling party in Umuahia South came and ordered her arrest, questioning why she should allow some traders in the market to be registered by a rival political party.”

He appealed to the authorities in the state to release the woman who he said though is the secretary of their union, but had no power to determine which political party traders in the market would belong