Hundreds of traders at the Akarigbo market, Sabo, in Sagamu area of Ogun State, on Thursday, protested over reconstruction work on the market pulled down by the state government on January 4.
Tribune Online recalled that a section of the market was razed down by fire exactly a year ago with goods running into several millions of naira destroyed.
The state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, had promised the traders that his administration would construct a new modern market for them.
Officials of the State Ministry of Housing were said to have demolished the affected and other structures within the market for work to commence in earnest.
However, the traders said the demolition of their stalls had made life more difficult for them, as they transact businesses under harsh conditions.
The traders armed with placards such as “Prince Dapo Abiodun, we are in the sun and dust. Our health is suffering. Our businesses are dying. Please help mercy on us and come to our aid,” Oba Babatunde Ajayi, please help us beg the Governor of Ogun State to speedily reconstruct our demolished markets,” among others.
One of the protesters, Mrs Oluwakemi Ogunawo, while speaking with newsmen, appealed to the state government to as a matter of urgency mobilise contractor to the site to begin the work.
She noted that many of them are unable to pay back their debts, due to the inability to display their wares.
Ogunawo said their situation could become worse if nothing tangible was done before the rainy season.
She said: “I want to plead to our Governor, Dapo Abiodun. We are appealing to him to help in reconstructing this market for us because many of colleagues in this market have died due to sun and dust. We are really suffering in Sabo Market. We are appealing to him because it is a year now that this market got burnt and since a year, nothing was done here.
“The state government gave us just four days quit notice to pack our market when they wanted to demolish the remaining part. We have packed all our goods to our different houses. We borrow money to sell and for some weeks now, we have not been selling.
“People that we borrowed money from are holding us, dragging us to pay their money and we don’t have anywhere to sell the market. All our goods are in the house because the dust is too much for us; the dust will spoil our market, everything will expire.
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“We are appealing to the governor because he is our governor and we know he has a listening ear, he is a capable governor and he can do it. We are begging him to come and rebuild this market for us in time because time is going and the rainy season is here.”
They later took the protest to the palace of the Akarigbo and Paramount Ruler of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi.
Addressing the protesters, the Bamoofin of Remoland, Chief Bayo Onafuwa, appealed to the traders to exercise patience with the government on the reconstruction work.
He informed that Oba Ajayi who was not around would meet with market leaders next Thursday on the matter.
“Kabiyesi is not around but we have made him aware of this protest and he has instructed us to let the market men and women know that he would be around to meet them next week. He urged you to be peaceful and never allowed people with bad intentions to hijack your protest.
“We understand what you are going through but you have to break an egg to make an omelette. The government has the good intention of making the market a modern new market but timing is always the issue. I believe with the help of Kabiyesi, everything will be sorted out in such a way that whatever pains that will come with the development will be greatly minimized. Let us all be patient and everything will be resolved peacefully.”
When contacted, the State Commissioner for Housing, Jagunmolu Omoniyi promised to handover not less than 200 shops as the first cluster to the traders by May 2021.
The commissioner explained that work would commence at the market by next week.
He noted that due process had to be followed in rebuilding the market, hence the delay in take-off
“I am happy to tell you that the state government takes the interest of our people very seriously and we value the economic emancipation of our people.
“The governor and his team have considered and approved the reconstruction of Sabo market, Sagamu. If you could recall, the shanties were brought down late last year. We were able to level all the shanties to pave way for the new construction that will come in place.
“Before we would move to the site, there are basic things we need to do. We cannot say because we are in government we should circumvent the necessary approval process. That is what we started doing right from the first day of this year. We were able to submit our preliminary plans and drawings to the ministry of Physical and Urban Planning so that they can vet whatever we are going to do. We will not be in contravention of laid down rules and regulations.
“The first cluster, which is around 150 to 200 shops will be delivered to the market women and traders of Sabo, Sagamu comes May 2021. That is a commitment that the state government has taken up and we are committed to delivering that,” the commissioner stated.