Drama as Oyo closes Temidire plank market

The longstanding battle between the Oyo state government and saw millers at Temidire plank market, Ibadan, over occupancy of the area assumed a new twist on Thursday, with the state government ordering the closure of the market.

The closure order handed down by state Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr Isaac Ishola, was preceded by about 50 policemen who surrounded the market, cordoning off the saw millers from resuming business for the day.

Following the development, the affected saw millers protested outside the market for hours and charged towards the policemen who warned them to comport themselves.

While the saw millers are holding on to a July 11, 2013 interim order of the High Court, Ibadan, restraining their ejection, the state government said the closure stemmed from complaints by residents of the area of environmental health hazards emanating from from activities at the plank market.

The relocation battle had begun in 2012 with the state government asking the occupants of Temidire market to relocate to an alternative Fasade community, on Ife Expressway, Ibadan, only for the traders who initially left to return to the Temidire site in 2015.

In 2012, the state government had given the market occupants a seven days ultimatum to vacate the market with the saw millers obtaining the July 11, 2013 restraining order.

In a series of orders, the state government had in September 2016, said it was set to commence the development of Temidire market, which would see the construction of hundreds of lock up shops, ordering all occupants of the market to immediately vacate or risk being forcefully ejected.

Handing down Thursday’s closure order, Ishola cited environmental health hazards caused by the saw millers’ activities as superseding ownership tangle.

“The issue here is environmental not ownership. They burn sawdust here discharging dangerous emissions that cause health hazards for the people around here. The place is also prone to flooding because there is no drainage here.”

“The interest of the public takes priority beyond individual or organisational interest. Government cannot just close its eyes when it sees people dying due to health hazards from the sawmill. All over the world, sawmill is located on the outskirts of the town but this is inside the town. So, they have to relocate to the alternative Fasade community that government has provided. Due to environmental issues, especially the health of our people, Temidire plank market is hereby closed with immediate effect,” he said.

Showing the court order, financial Secretary, Temidire Saw millers Planks Market, Mr Matthew Ojeyinka, said the state government should obey the court judgement restraining their ejection.

On why some of them have failed to move to the alternate Fasade provision, he said that those who relocated to Fasade were not authentic members of the saw millers association.

He further argued a non-indigene of Oyo state and non-member of the saw millers association was foisted upon them as head at the Fasade site.

Ojeyinka echoed the willingness of members of the saw millers association to vacate if there was a court judgement to that effect.

Following the closure order, security agents are expected to be present at Temidire market round the clock.