Daily Independent Online.
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Tuesday, August 24, 2004.
Traders’
protest stalls activities at Oyo ministry
By Sola Shittu,
Reporter, Ibadan
Activities at the
Oyo State Ministry of Commerce, Industries and Cooperatives, were on Monday
paralysed by traders from the New Gbagi International Market, Ibadan, who were
protesting illegal construction of stalls in the market.
The traders had
earlier embarked on demolition of the shops and stalls, which they claimed
defaced the master plan of the market.
Early in the day,
the irate youths sealed off the office of the estate agent managing the market.
Chanting
anti-government slogans, the traders condemned the activities of the
management, which was alleged to be colluding with others to distort the market
master plan.
At the office of
the commissioner, the placard carrying protesters demanded the immediate
removal of the market’s management by the state government.
The General
Secretary of the market traders association, Elder Sola Falowo, regretted the
destruction of the legacy of the former Governor of the state, the late Chief
Bola Ige.
“The
management of this market had built shops and stalls on all the pedestrian ways
in the market. Meaning that, if there is any outbreak of fire now, the
likelihood of survivors is very remote and our goods and valuables will be
destroyed.”
He said several
letters have been sent to the state governor and the House of Assembly over the
activities of the commissioner and the estate agent without positive response
from them.
The traders argued
that if they had the intention of constructing new shops, it should be done in
a new site since the available spaces in the present market were left for a
purpose.
Three months ago,
Governor Rashidi Ladoja had visited the market and ordered the demolition of
all illegal structures erected in the market.
Ladoja also assured
the market traders that his government has no plan of destroying or amending
the market’s master plan and ordered the state commissioner for commerce
to stop further construction of new shops.
