Hundreds of food commodities traders at Bodija Markets, under the aegis of the Ibadan Foodstuff Sellers’ Association (IFSA), on Tuesday, protested against the planned demolition of their shops, numbering over 100 by the management of Aare Latosa Local Council Development Authority (LCDA).
The traders described the plan to demolish their shops by a development consultant, contracted by the LCDA as unjustifiable, inhuman, and sheer wickedness.
While lamenting that the proposed demolition of their shops, which they claimed of individually paid a sum of N2 million each to acquire during the past administration of late Governor Isiaka Ajimobi, was capable of depriving them of their livelihoods, they implored the Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde and the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Honourable Debo Ogundoyin. to stop the action of the chairman, caretaker committee of Aare Latosa Local Council Development Authority, Mr Waheed Akanbi, otherwise known as Biro from going ahead with such plan.
Addressing journalists during the protest staged at the Iwo Road motor garage of Bodija Market, where their shops are located, the spokesperson of the traders, Mrs. Bushirat Adegboyega, stated: “We appreciate the efforts of Governor Makinde in delivering good governance to the people of Oyo State. But, some people want to rubbish the image of our father and governor with the heart of gold.
Adegboyega, who spoke in Yoruba language said: “We know that our masses-friendly governor is not in support of any action that can take away our means of livelihood. That is why we are calling on him and the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Honourable Debo Ogundoyin to come to our rescue.
“Last month, some officials of Aare Latosa LCDA came here to measure the landscape and we inquired about what informed their suspicious activity. They said our attention is needed at the LCDA secretariat. When we got there, they said they had concluded plan to demolish our shops, which is over 100. We told them we just paid our yearly rent after purchasing the shop from Ajimobi’s government at the rate of N2 million each.
“Their position is that we have to re-purchase the shop at N3 million each because a developer had been commissioned to demolish all the shops for re-allocation. This is cheating and obvious wickedness to profit from the deprivation of our shops. We cannot take it. We have written a letter to the governor and Speaker of the House over this matter. This is because they (LCDA) insisted that after 21-day ultimatum, all our shops will be pulled down.
“We all know what we are going through now in the country. Some of us are widows while many members of Ibadan Foodstuff Sellers Association are breadwinners of our individual families. We have been to the Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Lekan Balogun over our plight, but the caretaker chairman of Aare Latosa LCDA, Mr Waheed Akanbi is not ready to listen to anybody. We pleading with our amiable governor, Engineer ‘Seyi Makinde to stop the chairman from sending us to our early should he go ahead to demolish our shops.
“Many of us are using bank loans and facilities from microfinance institutions to run our food commodities businesses here. There is no sale because of the appalling economic situation in the country. We need timely intervention to stop this inhuman treatment, ” she remarked.
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