Traders from the A.I.A Orilowo Perishable Food Market, Agboyi-Ketu, Lagos, have made passionate appeal to the Lagos State House of Assembly to prevail on the officials of the Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area and relevant agencies to actualise the approval of requested space for their trading activities.
The traders, led by the President, Centre for Human and Socio-economic Rights (CHSR), Alex Omotehinse, who stormed the House of Assembly, to register their grievances, displayed placards with different inscriptions, appealing to the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, to wade into the matter.
Omotehinse disclosed that the traders had written a letter on May 16, 2022, to Agboyi-Ketu LCDA, seeking approval of a designated site within their secretariat but the officials have deliberately refused to grant approval as requested, thereby subjecting their business activities into jeopardy.
“The Chairman of Agboyi-Ketu LCDA invited representatives of the association for a meeting where the request for the recognition of the association was again unfortunately denied without cogent reasons.’’
“A.I.A Orilowo Perishable Food Market has over 1,000 traders comprising market men, women, drivers and loaders, whose means of livelihood is adversely threatened by the non-approval of site for market operation by the council,” he said.
Omotehinse said notwithstanding the alleged claims that certain cabals in the corridor of power in the state are determined to frustrate the recognition of the association, “we are however, concerned that non-recognition of the association and refusal to grant them approval to operate a legitimate market can lead to social menace within the community, considering the current harsh economic conditions in the country.
“We are therefore, demanding the intervention of the Lagos State House of Assembly to call Agboyi-Ketu LCDA and the relevant agencies to order with the view to actualise the approval of the requested space located at No 705 Ikorodu Road, Adekunle Bus Stop, by Owode Onirin, as operational base of the traders.”
The Majority Leader of the Assembly, Noheem Adams, who addressed the protesters on behalf of the Speaker, said the traders have exercised their rights as protest is part of democracy.
While describing the Speaker as a man of the people, who is ready to listen to the yearnings of the people and issues that affect them, Adams said the House received the petition earlier written by the traders and has forwarded it to the Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, which started work on it.
“You’ll be invited on Tuesday, January 9, 2024 with other stakeholders for us to hear from everybody, in order to.ensure justice is served. We need to hear from the LCDA Chairman and to come out with a resolution that’ll be in the interest of everybody.”
