Traditional chiefs in Badagry on Saturday stormed Agbalata Market to enforce a directive from the Akran of Badagry, Aholu Menu Toyi 1, to lower the prices of foodstuffs and goods.
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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Traditional Ruler of Badagry, Toyi 1, dissolved market committees dictating the prices of foodstuffs and goods in Agbalata International Market, Badagry, on August 28.

The Akran made this announcement at a meeting with Agbalata market men and women at his palace in Badagry. The Akran, represented by Chief Michael Onu-Osekan, the Jengen of Badagry, stated that no committee should set the prices of foodstuffs and goods brought to the market by sellers anymore.

Onu-Osekan sent town criers to assemble the traders at four different venues in the local government area to address them. He said the chiefs had come on the instructions of the Akran in reference to the meeting he held at his palace.

“We have come to disseminate information throughout the market and see if the instructions issued to marketers are being followed. We heard that some marketers are not willing to pay waste, security, and other fees due to the instructions from the palace. The message is that they should not make things harder for our fellow people of the community; they should not overcharge people with the aim of gaining too much,” he said.
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Similarly, Chief Anthony Oloyede, the Efiyentan of Badagry Kingdom, said they were in the market to ensure marketers regulate the price of foodstuffs according to the Akran’s directives.

Oloyede said: “Shortly after the directives on the dissolution of market committees and the reduction of prices of foodstuffs, we heard that some traders are adamant and even refused to pay their normal market levies. The levies include security and waste fees, which they used to pay monthly to ensure that the market is cleaned. This is part of what brought us here. Akran urges them to pay their monthly dues and have human feelings while selling their goods,” he said.

Mr. Tunde Hundeyin, representing the Coconut Sellers Association of Agbalata Market, commended the traditional chiefs for addressing the marketers on the high cost of foodstuffs. Hundeyin, however, urged the traditional chiefs to appeal to the government to reduce the pump prices of petrol and diesel. He said these were a major cause of the hike in prices of foodstuffs.

Chief Solomon Alabi, the Otun Baba Oja of Agbalata Market, promised that all traders in the market would comply with the directives of the traditional ruler. Alabi thanked the chiefs for coming to the market to brief the marketers on Akran’s directives.
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