IKOSI-ISHERI LCDA CHAIRPERSON THROWS 1000 MILE 12 TRADERS INTO ECONOMIC HARDSHIP, DEMOLISHES ALABA MARKET

Barely 10 days to Christmas Celebration, about 1000 market men and women of Mile 12 international market were on Thursday thrown into economic hardship with the demolition of Alaba section of the market by the Ikosi-Isheri LCDA.

The demolition was reported to have been carried out on the directives of the council's chairperson Princess Samiat Bada.

According to a council official who pleaded for anonymity, the demolition was carried out to enable the LCDA to redevelop the market into a modern business centre.

Those affected by the demolition are yam powdered sellers, Palm Oil/Groundnut oil sellers and grinding operators, among others.

Kosofe Reporters gathered that there was no prior meeting or discussion between the LCDA and the affected marketers before the demolition was carried out.

According to some market leaders of Alaba market who spoke to our correspondent only a quit notice was given to them for contravention on October 26 and they were given just two days to quit the place.

They added that every effort made to have a round table discussion with the council Chairperson over the quit notice was rebuffed.

The Iyaloja of the Market, Yeye Dupe Ojo stated: " they came and pasted a quit notice at the market for contravention on October 28.

"Immediately I saw the letter, I removed it and took it to Iyaloja General of Mile 12, Alhaja Iyabo Ahmed and she told me that the council Chairperson had promised her that no further action would be taken on the demolition until after they had met over it.

"But, afterwards, Mayoress didn't make herself available for any meeting. Since October 28, they have been playing hide and seek with us.

"Then on December 8, Iyaloja General informed us that they would come for demolition on Saturday. The Chairperson did not call us nor hold meetings with us.

"We got our lawyer who wrote petitions for a stay of demolition until both parties had discussed it.

"We petitioned the state Governor, Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, DSS, and Commissioner of Police and sent copies to Iyaloja General Lagos State Chief Folasade Ojo

"The next thing we saw was the demolition this morning"

Yeye Dupe Ojo further stated that the demolition had taken its toll on them as some of them are down with ailments while a woman had died with her body still lying at the mortuary. 

The secretary of the market Chief Akinwale Jimoh expressed shock over the demolition and called for the urgent intervention of the state government.

"We are very surprised at the demolition of our stalls. All efforts made to hold a meaningful discussion with them were to no avail.

"At every election, we do vote for APC and Yeye Dupe Ojo would force us to attend APC rallies and meetings.

"We always record the highest number of votes in Kosofe. They should go and verify.

"The only assistance we want from the government is to stop the demolition and call us to a round table for discussion": Chief Akinwale said.

Another member of the market, Alhaji Karimu Adisa, disclosed that the main reason why their section of the market was destroyed was because they belonged to the caucus of the Lawmaker representing Kosofe Federal Constituency Hon. Rotimi Agunsoye and queried when it became a sin to belong to a caucus.

He expressed disappointment at the way and manner the demolition was carried out, noting that they were only given a two-day quit notice on October 26 for contravention with no room for proper negotiation. 

While describing the demolition as an act of wickedness, he stated that thugs took advantage of the situation to cart their goods away

Alhaji Adisa said: "I am disappointed by the fact that we are APC in the market and no market in Kosofe has recorded more votes than Mile 12

"I wondered when it became a sin to belong to a caucus. ROT is our caucus. They too also have their caucus. Are we not APC"?

But in a video clip posted online, the Iyaloja General, Alhaja Iyabo Ahmed refuted the statement that Princess Samiat Bada was responsible for the demolition.

She explained that the idea to redevelop the market was initiated by the market leaders themselves and that they had had a series of meetings with the Chairperson.

However, Yeye Dupe Ojo told our correspondent that the Chairperson only discussed with the Iyaloja and two other persons at her office.

She added that for any discussion to be meaningful or reasonable it has to involve all the stakeholders of the market.