The traders at the expansive Neighbourhood Market Scout Camp, Challenge, Ibadan and other splinter markets in Oyo State, indeed, have cause to give testimony on how their grief turned into joy. OSEHEYE OKWUOFU, who visited some of the markets, reports
Road side traders in the Challenge area of Ibadan sent packing not too long ago by the Oyo State government had cause to smile recently when the newly constructed, expansive Scout Camp Neigbhourhood Market was commissioned and handed over to them.
Their faces beamed with smiles, and there was joy and excitement in the air. Every trader exhumed happiness as they arranged their wares in the open stalls painted in the newly adopted official yellow and brown colours of Oyo State.
The clean and beautiful environment of the newly built market and their former shops mostly erected on top of gutters and under unsanitary conditions have no basis for comparison.
They have never had it so good. Initially, it was pains and sorrow for the traders who suffered the loss of shops to government officials who demolished shops under high tension cables and too close to the main roads.
Many in the heat of the demolition exercise said a lot of negative and uncomplimentary things about Governor Abiola Ajimobi and the government of All Progressives Congress (APC). But, today it is praises galore for the governor and his party.
The chairman, Scout Camp Neighbourhood Market, Mr. Tewogbade likened the condition of the traders to a baby who had some health challenges and the father decided to allow the baby undergo surgery to correct the defect.
“Surgery is painful but the baby and the father had to endure the pains because they are confident that after the surgery the baby will enjoy a good health.
“Today, we have forgotten those pains and now we are very happy. You can see our look, radiant faces and robust body. The governor meant well for the state. Can you ever imagine that the city of Ibadan can be as beautiful as it is today? We have every cause to be happy and thank the governor for his concern for our plight,” the market chairman said.
The decision of the governor to clean up Ibadan, though hard for the government to take, drew a lot of criticisms from some of the people, especially those in the opposition.
Among the critics, was a former governor of the state and national leader of the Accord Party, Rashidi Ladoja. Ladoja, who sympathised with the traders who lost their shops to the demolition exercise described the neighbourhood markets constructed for the displaced traders in Ibadan as “medicine after death.”
He said: “When Uncle Bola Ige did his own, they built Gbagi. You don’t take people for granted. The people must be granted the means of livelihood. You have a right to define the situation. Don’t forget that this is not the only place where illegality started. America is now talking about legalising illegal immigrants. They are not saying illegal immigrant should be thrown into the sea.
“The countries you want to copy are not doing that. In America, London, the government takes care of them. They give them unemployment benefits so that they won’t go hungry. A good government must realise the fact that they (the citizens) have right to livelihood. You can condone them until you build another place for them. Ajimobi’s shops are medicine after death months after destruction.”
When the traders were relocated from the streets to take possession of the newly built neighbourhood market, they were of the opinion that the cost of the stalls would be out of their reach and that it was not meant for the poor. But, they were proved wrong. The state government gave out the stalls to the displaced traders free without paying a dime.
The traders also got N20million interest free loan as a form of empowerment to cushion the pains of the demolition.
Many were excited as they watched Governor Ajimobi present cheques and certificates to joyous traders at a colourful ceremony held within the Scout Camp Neighbourhood market.
He told the traders that the distribution of cheques was in fulfillment of his promise to assist traders in the state in improving their trade and raising their standard of living.
Ajimobi further promised them that the gesture would be replicated in other markets across the state to ensure better life for the traders, stating that it was the dividends of obedience for the traders who decided to assist his government’s urban renewal programme by removing their wares from the streets.
“Our thinking is that people like us who do not have any one in government will not get stall here. But, it was a surprise to some of us when our governor personally visited and announced that all of us affected in the beautification of Ibadan city should get a stall free without paying a kobo.
“Then, I said to myself, this has gone beyond politics. Before, the stalls will be for the highest bidder and for politicians’ friends and family. So, we are so happy that our governor is so magnanimous. He did not only stop there, he gave us N20million interest free loan.
“As you are seeing the market, every one of us got N10,000 each to support our trade. This will be the first time a governor will be doing this to us, we are so happy and we will continue to pray for his success in life,” a trader at the Scout Camp market, Mrs Oluwanike Omotoso said.
Apparently taking a cue from the state government, some local government chairmen have also embarked on the construction of similar neigbhourhood markets to take traders off the streets as part of the Ajimobi administration’s urban renewal programme. Some of these markets have been completed, while construction work is progressing in others when visited by The Nation.
It was learnt that all the local government chairmen in the state have been directed to provide such markets for traders in their areas affected by the programme of the government.
At Gbekuba in Ibadan Southwest local government and Bode-Igbo in Ido local government areas, beautiful neighbour markets constructed by the two councils have sprung up in support of governor’s effort to provide a conducive environment for traders in the city.
The residents of these areas are excited and in high spirit to have the markets. Not only will these markets serve the needs of the displaced traders in the area but also provide social amenities such as borehole water, and access roads for the communities.
Chairman of Ido local government, Professor Olowofela showered praises on Governor Ajimobi for the decision to establish the markets for the benefit of the people.
According to him, the market would bring succour to street traders and hawkers who were unable to rent shops. As a result, he said “many of our people will see the different between a good government that cares for the people and a bad one.”
His counterpart in Ibadan Southwest local government, Alhaji Taoreed, who spoke at the fund raising ceremony for the building of a befitting palace for the Olubadan of Ibadanland, at the Adamasingba Stadium, described the neighbo-urhood markets as the tonic needed by traders moved from the streets.
“This is one of the lofty programmes of the present administration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi and I want to say that what we have done is just a tip of the iceberg. There are more dividends coming the way of the people,” he said.
