Lafenwa Traders Storm Abeokuta North LG Secretariat, Protest Planned Demolition of Their Shops, Stalls

Traders Lafenwa Market, Abeokuta,one of the major markets in the Ogun State capital today stormed Abeokuta North Secretariat, Akomoje, over an alleged plan by the local government to demolish and remodel the market in partnership with a property development firm.

The traders, most of whom are women of different ages on Wednesday were seen displaying placards with different inscriptions in protest against possible displacement from their respective shops and stalls within few days to pave way for the developmental project being executed by the Executive Chairman, Hon. Adebayo Ayorinde for the remaining months of his tenure in office.

The traders who arrived the secretariat of the local government at about 9:00 am with various save our souls placards such as: “Gov. Abiodun Please Come To Our Side”, "Please Don’t Destroy Our Shops", This is Where We Feed Our Families “, "Don't Let Them Destroy Our Stalls","This Is Not What You Promised Us” , "Save us Dapo Abiodun, amongst other inscriptions, said they staged the action in order to attract the intervention of Governor Dapo Abiodun on the issue.

The traders later had stakeholders meeting with top officials of Abeokuta North Local Government presided over by the Vice Chairman, Hon. Ayoola Olu-Ajo on behalf of the Chairman but the meeting, which lasted for about two hours, between 11 am and 1 pm ended in a deadlock.

Some leaders at the market who participated in the protest expressed their fears and apprehension about the likelihood of the displacement of thousands of traders at the market without alternative arrangements made by the council for them to stay temporarily for their daily trading activities till completion of the project which is expected to commence soonest and get completed within the next three months.

The rank and file of market leaders at Lafenwa market consulting the Babaloja, Alhaji Musa Adeyinka and Iyaloja, Alhaja Sidikat Owe as well as other leaders namely:Alhaja Silifat Lawal and Risikat Oyebode whose late mother was a market leader unanimously insisted that the council must provide an alternative place within the Lafenwa Market axis for them to continue with their respective commercial activities, prior to the completion of the remodeling project 

They also pleaded with management of the local council not to allow the developer to handle the execution of such developmental project, expressing fear of likely high cost of securing the shops and stalls at very high rates that would be very difficult for most of the traders, who are still struggling with harsh economic situation in the country, to afford.

The traders told press men that they are sincerely worried over planned ejection from their shops and stalls by the local council without giving them any grace period to relocate or find temporary place for them to continue with their trading activities to enable them feed their families and meet their daily financial commitments to cooperatives and MicroFinance banks from where they have sourced funds to run their trading activities.

They alleged that most of the traders whose shops and stalls were demolished for the construction of a storey building modern shops at a section of the market during the immediate past administration of the Sen.Ibikunle Amosun, could not afford annual cost of N7 million per shop on the ground floor N3.5million per shop on the first floor 

Open Television Naija reports that the Vice Chairman of the council further heightened the apprehension of the traders during the stakeholder meeting, when he said that the project would commence any moment from now without agreeing on the grace period for traders to move out of their shops and stalls or announcing the alternative arrangements made for them within the market.

He however clarified that affected traders would be given priority during the re-allocation of the shops and stalls on completion of the remodeling project way for project

He also revealed that the council, in partnership with developers and Gateway Mortgage Bank had worked out arrangements to make it convenient for the affected traders, whose shops and stalls pave way for the developmental project 

The first phase of the project, he revealed, includes no fewer than 90 open stalls and 20 lock up shops.