• Lagos denies demolishing shops

Traders in Ladipo International Auto Sparepart Market and their host, Mushin Local Government Area (LGA), at the weekend, had a disagreement over the plan to give the market a facelift.

While the LGA said partial closure of the market was to rebuild the Ndigbo-dominated market into the likes of New Tejuoso Ultramodern Market, the shop-owners alleged demolition of the market without due consultation with the occupants.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State government has denied that some parts of the market had been demolished, saying that governor Akinwunmi Ambode has no plans to relocate the popular market.

Executive Secretary of the Council, Jide Bello, in an effort to clear the air on the development in his office on Thursday, said: “The local council developer had moved in to take ownership of the market but we have no plan to demolish the place.”

Bello said the council’s plan, as contained in an agreement earlier reached with the traders, was to redevelop the market in phases, lasting three to five months of construction work.

According to him, thought bulldozer of the developer had moved in on Tuesday, business activities are going on unhindered and the traders are presently at their stalls carrying out their business transactions.

When his attention was drawn to demolition of some parts of the market and roofs already removed, Bello denied knowledge of the development, saying it was due to Thursday afternoon rainfall.

He explained that the Local Government decided to redevelop the market, which had become an eyesore due to the unwholesome activities of some of the traders and the degradation of the surrounding, which did not fit into the mega city plans of the State.

He said the Mushin Local Government intended to undertake the development of the market in phases and because of that, had not collected any form of rent from the traders in the market since the beginning of 2015.

The Executive Secretary added that the authorities of the Mushin Local Government convened several meetings with the leaders of the various associations in the market towards ensuring that the private developer commences the phased development but it was evident from the body language of the leaders that they were buying time and trying to frustrate the plan of the Local Council to redevelop the place.

Bello said there would be no going back on the decision of the council to redevelop the Ladipo market, assuring all traders in the market that Mushin remains a home for all of them.

He said due process was followed in the decision of the Local Government to redevelop the market. And to buttress this
Bello invited one of the traders, Leonard Owunalu, to speak on behalf of the shop owners.

Owunalu said: “I don’t know why our people are agitating against development of the market. All of us have been invited to a meeting and we signed that we agreed to the development of the market. They (Mushin LGA) are the sole-owner of the property, so why will anyone strife with them over it. Only the people that are not in their right senses will be against development of this market…”

Owunalu had barely finished the sentence when about 10 hefty traders in the market forced their way into the Mushin LGA boss’ office, to protest the right of Owunalu to speak on their behalf.

The scene soon turned rowdy as the intruders threatened to beat up Owunalu, saying he is not known in the market.