-Sabo market situation is embarrassing us, enough is enough – Commissioner
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Muslim Oloruntele Folami, has declared that the Lagos State Government is ready to address the embarrassing situation which the Ayangbure (Sabo) market in Ikorodu Local Government is causing the state government once-and-for-all.
He made this declaration on Monday, February 26, 2018, at the Sabo market during his visit to the market as part of his tour of markets in Lagos State.
Hon. Folami, while addressing the traders stated that his office is fully aware of the problems in Sabo market and that they would be addressed once-and-for-all.
“We are fully aware of the problems in this market . It is high time we address it once-and-for-all, the Commissioner stated.
“After this visit, I’m going to invite the developers and other necessary parties for discussion. The situation is causing us big embarrassment.
“Markets are under the purview of the councils. The ministry only has supervisory roles. It is only the council authorities that can levy and collect tolls and not the developers.
“The chairman has expressed his dismay at the conduct of some developers and we are going to call all the parties for a meeting to resolve this problem”, Hon. Folami assured.
Some aggrieved marketers also seized the opportunity presented by the Commissioner’s visit to protest against a particular developer of denying them stalls.
Also, Hon. Wasiu Adeshina, Chairman of Ikorodu Local Government, in his own reaction accused some developers of imposing illegal dues on the marketers while he also warned developers engaged in the market redevelopment to desist from collecting levies and imposing arbitrary conditions on the marketers.
“I want to warn the developers in the market to stop imposing levies on the marketers. It is the duty of the council to do this. Because of this, we have set up a committee led by the former Council Chairman, Alhaji Junaid Owokodu, to investigate the imposition of illegal levies by some developers which is causing our people untoward hardship”, Hon. Adeshina stated.
Attempts by some Council officials to prevent some aggrieved marketers in the market from using the occasion of the Commissioner’s visit to protest the alleged bad treatment by a developer called ‘Ultimate’ hit the brick wall as the protesters insisted that they must be heard.
The protesters were dispossessed of the placards they were carrying by some political appointees.
Mrs Seriki Abose, the leader of the protest, while addressing the Commissioner, alleged that many of them who were original owners of stalls before the redevelopment of the Section B of the market which is being redeveloped by Ultimate, were not given allocations after the completion of the section by the developer.
“After the redevelopment of our demolished stalls by Ultimate (not real name), we have been without shops despite the payment of N420,000. He is demanding for N1.4 million which is against the initial agreement. We are appealing to the state government to intervene in our predicaments. I have family at home which I’m catering for with what I am selling in this market”, she alleged.
“While we, the real marketers and owners of the demolished stalls, were being denied allocations, Ultimate gave stalls to politicians and members of the committee (Sabo market redevelopment committee). This is not fair and we want the government to help us in addressing this matter”, she appealed.
The woman added that there is no way they would not engage in street trading if they are not allocated stalls.
