Caterpillar – Merchants sort out LG chairman over Lagos market demolition – Punch Newspapers
Deji Lambo
There was stress on Saturday when officers of the Amuwo-Odofin Native Authorities Space stormed the Oyinlola Olorunda Market with armed policemen and used a caterpillar to demolish buildings, together with outlets, belonging to merchants out there.
The officers, who reportedly acted on the order of the Chairman of the council, Valentine Buraimoh, have been stated to have demolished the property with out notifying the market management and merchants.
Through the demolition, PUNCH Metro gathered that the policemen allegedly shot into the air to scare and forestall merchants from eradicating their items from the outlets, inflicting losses operating into thousands and thousands of naira.
The market chief, Stella Cookey, whereas blaming Buraimoh for the incident, stated no fewer than 5,000 merchants have been affected.
She stated the state Governor, Babjide Sanwo-Olu, had been notified to intervene within the matter.
Cookey stated, “Three months in the past, the council summoned all market leaders for a gathering and in the course of the assembly, the officers demanded to see representatives of Oyinlola Olorunda Market individually. We proceeded to the workplace of the secretary of the LG and met 4 different officers there
“It was at that time that we have been informed that the council needed to rebuild the market. We informed them that the timing was incorrect. We stated COVID-19 affected our companies and there was nothing incorrect with the market; the place was allotted to us for 90 years and we had not even spend as much as 30 years, so, we informed them to formally write us and we left.
“After a month, they formally wrote us and we went for a gathering, involving the chairman and his committee, however we had no settlement and since then, they by no means had any assembly with us. We have been stunned that they got here on Saturday with a bulldozer and began demolishing the market with merchants’ property nonetheless within the outlets.”
The market chief claimed that hoodlums took benefit of the demolition and looted property belonging to merchants, including that items worth thousands and thousands of naira have been stolen.
“We were not given a specific date for the demolition; no notice was pasted for the demolition, they just came and started demolishing people’s property. The demolition started yesterday (Saturday) and as I speak to you, it is still ongoing,” she added.
In a bid to get justice for the merchants who suffered losses in the course of the demolition, the counsel for the market, Ike Onyefulu, stated the matter can be taken to courtroom.
He stated, “About 5 plazas have been levelled down and it’s an act of wickedness. It is rather unlucky that this sort of factor is occurring in a authorities that claims it has the curiosity of the individuals at coronary heart.
“If for any motive a market or constructing is to be demolished, it’s obligatory that you just give the occupants some days or even weeks of discover, however nothing of such was carried out. The market was not constructed by the federal government, it was constructed by the individuals who received allocation after paying and the buildings have been constructed consistent with the architectural drawing they gave us. Whether or not what they did is unhealthy or not, we aren’t going to take the legislation into our arms; we’re going to courtroom.”
The council chairman, Buraimoh, stated due course of was adopted.
He stated, “A committee was arrange 5 months in the past and members of the committee had been assembly with them to allay their fears. So, we adopted due course of by calling them for a gathering and in addition wrote to the state authorities via the ministry of native authorities for approval.
“The commissioner, ministry of native authorities and group affairs, was there to examine the scenario of issues out there earlier than giving approval for the demolition. The place known as a market and all method of individuals are residing there and promoting all method of illicit medicine.
“Individuals are not protected doing enterprise there. As soon as they hear that there will likely be growth at a spot, they gained’t yield on time, however inside three to 4 months, one other construction will likely be there and the unique allottees will likely be thought of earlier than the brand new ones.”
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