Source: The Guardian
Rays of hope began to manifest Wednesday on the re-opening of the Ladipo auto spare-parts market that was shut down on Monday when the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, visited the market Wednesday and dialogued with the leaders of the market union on modalities for re-opening the market.
The Ministry of Environment and a committee set up by the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, to resolve the issue of the closure met the union and other members and conveyed to them government’s expectation which include, among other things, demolition of illegal shops erected on both sides of the canal.
Bello reiterated the government’s stance not to any longer condone illegal structures unbefitting of modern business environments, adding that Wednesday’s meeting with the union was the first phase towards reaching a mutual agreement with the traders on the re-opening of the market.
He urged the union’s representatives to convey Lagos State Government’s expectation to their members to fast-track the re-opening of the market, adding that without doing that, the market might remain closed for some time.
He indicted the traders for not heeding the warnings of the government for proper maintenance of the market after several visitations by government officials.
Bello said: “ The state government is not satisfied with the obscene sight of illegal shops erected along the canals on both sides and will soon demolish them irrespective of the nature of businesses being carried out there. Putting up of these kind of shops must stop if the traders would like to continue their business in the area”.
Also, the Chairman, Mushin Local Government Area, Babatunde Adepitan, said the local government was working in collaboration with the state government to ensure compliance of the union and its members on how to keep the market clean all the time.
He added that every effort of the council to generate revenue from the market had always been sabotaged by the traders.
The President, Ladipo Auto Centre Executive Committee (LACEC), Iyke Animalu, said the union was ready to comply with the demands of the state government which would be conveyed to the traders.
Meanwhile, some residents of the Ladipo Arae and adjoining streets have also indicted council officials of contributing to the rot in the area.
“Apart from the traders menace, council officials also do brisk business with illegal parking. They collect money from traders who don’t have shops, allow them to park along the streets and display their wares, thus obstructing free flow of traffic. A journey that would have taken a few minutes takes hours within our area because of the menace of these street traders who sell on the streets after paying money to the council officials,” a resident of the area who wanted his name off-print revealed.
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