TRADERS affected in the ongoing demolition of shops at Agboju Market in Festac Town, Lagos, have blamed their leaders for what they called “insincerity” over the exercise.
Bulldozers have been pulling down the structures in the market since Friday.
The traders told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the exercise was an ongoing issue between them and the government.
They expressed shock over the exercise, which they claimed, started before the seven-day quit notice issued them expired.
A trader, Uzo Thomas, said they assumed the demolition would begin on Monday (today) after the notice elapsed on Sunday (yesterday).
“To our surprise, on Friday morning, we were displaying our goods, we just started hearing, ‘pack, pack,’ we thought it was a joke.
“Before we knew it, bulldozers started bringing everything down,” he said.
Another trader, Mrs. Anulika Chukwu, said last Thursday Amuwo Odofin Local Government officials came to warn the traders not to sell on the walk ways.
“If we had known before hand, I wouldn’t have spent the money I had yesterday buying goods for sale,” she lamented.
But some other traders described the market site as a buffer zone, with pipelines running underneath and electric cables overhead.
Mr Olawale Ashakaba said: “This is a Federal Government property. There are pipelines running under here.
“I believe there’s something our leaders are not telling us’’.
Mrs. Blessing Ogomchi said: “Nobody knows exactly what is going on or what is going to happen.
“The leaders haven’t even called a meeting to tell traders what is going on.
“If indeed there’s going to be a new market, how long will it take to be completed; how many months or years?”
The market’s Iyaloja General, Mrs. Osinatu Adebayo, refuted the allegations, saying there was no foul play.
“No. No, it’s not true.
“The problem is that the market is too rough and the state government called us to say they want to rebuild it to a modern market.
“They would have finished building it but we’ve been delaying and begging for more time, ‘please allow us to sell for Christmas’ or ‘please let us sell for Easter’.
According to her, buying and selling will continue as usual, once the site has been cleared.
Adebayo promised that the traders will get shops when the new market is completed.
“My children are also traders here, so I can’t allow things to go bad.
“Before outsiders get shops, all the traders will be considered first,” she said.
NAN could not ascertain how long it would take to complete the project.
Efforts to reach the council Chairman, Mr. Valentine Buraimoh, proved abortive. His aide, who picked his calls, said he was attending a state function.
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