There has been growing anxiety among traders including shop owners at the popular Lafenwa Market in the Ogun State capital over planned demolition and remodeling of the major market by Abeokuta North Local Government in partnership with property development firm
Hundreds of traders mostly women of different ages on Wednesday stormed the local council's Secretariat at Akomoje area of the city, displaying placards of various bold inscriptions in protest against possible displacement from their respective shops and stalls within few days to pave way for the developmental project being executed by the Executive Chairman, Hon. Adebayo Ayorinde for the three remaining months of his tenure in office
The traders arrived the council's secretariat at around 9:00 am with various save our souls placards "Gov. Abiodun Please Come To Our Side", Please Don't Destroy Our Shops, This is Where We Feed Our Families ", This Is Not What You Promised Us" , Don't Let Them Destroy Our Stalls amongst others inscriptions to seek the intervention of Governor Dapo Abiodun
The affected traders later had stakeholders meeting with top officials of Abeokuta North Local Government presided over by the Vice Chairman, Hon. Ayoola Olu-Ajo on behalf of the Chairman which ended in a deadlock after more than two hours of interactive session between 11am and 1:00pm
Top leaders at the market are apprehensive of likely displacement of thousands of traders without alternative arrangements made by the council for them to stay temporarily for their daily trading activities till completion of the project which is expected to commence soonest and complete within the next three months
Both Babaloja Alhaji Musa Adeyinka and Iyaloja , Sidikat Owe and others Alhaja Silifat Lawal and Risikat Oyebode whose late mother was a market leader had all during the meeting, insisted that the council must provide alternative place within the Lafenwa Market for them to continue with their respective commercial activities, pending the completion of the remodeling project
They also pleaded with management of the local council not to allow developer to handle the execution of such developmental project, expressing fear of likely high cost of securing the shops and stalls at a very high rates that would be very difficult for most of the traders who are still struggling with harsh economic situation in the country, to afford
The traders are worried over planned rejection by the council from their shops and stalls without giving them grace period to relocate or find temporary place for them to continue with their trading activities to enable them feed their families daily
They alleged that most of the traders whose shops and stalls were demolished for the construction of a storey building modern shops at a section of the market during the immediate past administration of the Sen.Ibikunle Amosun, could not afford annual cost of N7 million per shop on the ground floor N3.5million per shop on the first floor
Vice Chairman of the council further heightened the.apprehension of the traders during the stakeholder meeting, when he said that the project would commence from any moment from now without agreeing on the grace period for traders to move out of their shops and stalls or announcing the alternative arrangements made for them within the market
He however clarified that affected traders would be given priority during the re-allocation of the shops and stalls on completion of the remodeling project way for project
He also revealed that the council in partnership with developers and Gateway Mortgage Bank had worked out arrangements to make it convenient for the affected traders whose shops and stalls pave way for the developmental project
The first phase of the project according to him, including 90 open stalls and 20 lock up shops
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