By PETER ANOSIKE

The newly elected president of Article Dealers Association, Lagos, Badagry Express Road, Lagos, Comrade Jerry Dimaka, has started taking bold steps to reposition the market for serious business.

Speaking at the first general meeting of the association after his election, Dimika enumerated some of the major decisions which he and his executive have taken to make sure that the market would begin to move forward once again after a long drawn leadership crisis.

He commended the traders who sacrificed both their time and resources to ensure that a new leadership emerged in the market.

According to him, they have resolved that it would be forward ever and backward never in the market.

He said that one of the decisions they took was to curtail the number of general meeting they do in the market so that traders would have the time to focus on their businesses.

He said that in line with the constitution of the market and after that, the winners would move into the market executive and would then be representing their blocks and passing information to them.

“I want to start by appreciating everybody for the decision to take our destiny into own hands which is what has brought about the change in leadership that we have today. I also appreciate those voted supported and voted for the change .I am aware that our business have been affected because of the several meeting that we were having to have change in the market. We are going to reduce that so that people would have enough time for our businesses,” Dimika said

According to him, in the election, there was no victor and no vanquished, adding that the former executive which was led by Sir Mike Elendu have agreed to hand over the association documents in their possession to the new executive.

He said that the dump site in the front of the market would be relocated since it is good for the image of the market

A motion was moved to urge the new executive to open a bank account for the market

In his contribution, the chairman of Article Dealers Association electoral Commission, Prince Alexander Ezeobi, said that modalities have been put in place for the block election.

According to him, the election would be free, fair and credible, just like the executive election which they also conducted.

Prince Ezeobi said that the expression of interest form for the block chairman, secretary, vice chairman, treasury, financial secretary are N50,000, N40,000, N30,000, N40,000 and N30,000,respectively.

He also said that the nomination fee for the four task force positions is N20,000 each.

•PHOTO: Electoral Committee Chairman, Prince Alexander Ezeobi, raising hand of Comrade Jerry Dimika after his recent election as new President of Article Dealers Association