Many traders around Iddo Train Terminus operating illegally — NRC

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Dr Kayode Opeifa, on Monday said that many of the traders operating in and around the Iddo Train Terminus have operated for several years at the various markets illegally.

According to a statement signed on Monday by the NRC Chief Public Relations Officer, Callistus Unyimadu, the NRC MD stated this while addressing traders of the Iddo Train Terminus Traders, Ijora Olopa/Ajeloro Fish Traders, Ifelodun Traders and Otto Traders as part of plans to give the Iddo Train Terminus a facelift.

Dr Opeifa said he had invited them to the meeting in order to assure them of the safety of their businesses and investments on the heels of the facelift being planned for the nation’s old train station by the corporation’s management.

The NRC MD said that the exercise, which may affect some shanties, however, noted that it was regrettable that many of the traders have operated for several years at the various markets illegally, adding that some are even operating without valid documents, while others who claimed to be paying were paying to the wrong people.

“The present administration of the Nigerian Railway Corporation is determined to transform Iddo Train Station. You can see that we have started with some paintings of the terminus, and let me assure you that we are bringing back the trains to serve our people,” he said.

Opeifa, who declared that no one will lose land that is legitimately acquired from the Nigerian Railway property, however, expressed regret that people are already building on railway tracks without any approval from the corporation.

“It is our desire to contribute to helping improve the value of where you trade. Iddo is dirty. There is no electricity and no toilet facilities. We are working very hard to ensure we bring back these facilities. I have created a business unit for Iddo, because of the priority we have set for the place. “We are determined to flush out drug traffickers from all our landed property at Iddo, and we are assuring you that the place will no longer be a hideout for criminals. The time that rightful tenants of our property would benefit from Iddo has finally come. We would leave no stone unturned in achieving a total transformation of Iddo Train Terminus.”

He assured the traders that the corporation is not going to increase rent on any of its properties around the area, though he emphasised the need for the corporation to have records of all its tenants at Iddo, adding that all tenants will now be paying directly to the Nigerian Railway Property Management Company Ltd (NRPML).

He urged the traders to continue their economic activities without fear, adding that the corporation is harping on willful compliance to all tenancy agreements in order to shore up its revenue which he said would be used to improve the state of facilities at the Iddo markets.

“Nigeria’s economy is kept busy and vibrant by activities of traders like you, and I can say that economic activities between Iddo and Apapa Ports alone keep that nation’s economy going,” Dr Opeifa added.

Leaders of the traders expressed happiness that the Managing Director thought it fit to meet with them, to share his plans for the transformation of Iddo Train Terminus. “This is the first time that we would meet with the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation and we are happy because we are relating with someone who shares our feelings and have allayed our fears that the corporation would eject us forcefully out of the market which has provided food on our table for decades,” Alhaji Rashid Bashorun Ajibola, the Chairman of Iddo Railway Terminal traders said.

Alhaji Ajibola, who claimed Iddo Market supplies rice to all major markets across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria, assures Dr Opeifa of the readiness of his members to support his administration to succeed.

The Chairman of Ijora Olopa Ajeloro Fish Market, Mr Aina Adekoya, expressed happiness that the NRC MD was not interested in taking over their market, but working to transform the Iddo Train Terminal and its environs, which would be in the interest of all traders.

“For many of us, we are meeting Dr Kayode Opeifa for the first time, and we are happy that he has not changed from the man that we used to know in his days as the Commissioner for Transportation in Lagos State. I will say that we are very glad to have someone like him, who knows the value of traders and has expressed his willingness to support us to continue to thrive,” Adekoya said.

The traders agreed to go back home and redouble their support for the success of the NRC MD, now that they have been assured of his commitment to their welfare and the growth of their trading activities.

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