Following the refusal of the Chairman of Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area, to approve a market place for traders in Orilowo Perishable Foods Market, Centre for Human and Socio-economic Rights, CSHR, has taken over the case and register the grievances of the market men and women at the doorstep of the Lagos State House of Assembly, LSHA, by petitioning Rt. Honourable Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, the Honourable Speaker, LSHA, on the matter.
In his submission, Comrade Alex Omosehinde, President CHSR, who signed the petition letter titled: “Violation of Freedom of Association: Denial of Approval of Operational Site for A.I.A Orilowo Perishable Foods Market Association of Agboyi-Ketu, Lagos and CSO’s Demand for Urgent Intervention and Justice” said “This market has been in existence since 2014 but after the stakeholders of the market registered their association with the Corporate Affairs Commission and for the Lagos State Government through the Lacal Government Chairman of Agboyi-Ketu LCDA to register and approve them as a market for proper recognition, they were denied.
“They have written several letters to Kosofe Local Government being the mother of Ikosi-Isheri and Agboyi-Ketu with a copy sent to Chairman Agboyi-Ketu LCDA as well as the Lagos State House of Assembly to intimate them of the grievance of Orilowo Perishable Foods Market traders.
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“We are appealing to the Honourable Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Honourable Mudashir Ajayi Obasa to prevail on the Agboyi-Ketu LCDA Chairman to register and approve Orilowo Perishable Foods Market in Mile 12 area of Lagos as a market because this assembly make a law years back to forbid street trading. As you are aware, CSHR has been in the forefront of the struggle calling for review of that law becase we see it as an anti-people law because majority of Lagos traders cannot afford the rate of market ships built across Lagos, traders in Orilowo Perishable Foods Market decided not to go to the streets to transact their business, they have resolved to obey the Lagos State Government by establishing their market in their own land which was acquired by one of them which was well surveyed and register in Lagos, but what they got after was denial from the Local Government Chairman who told the traders that he got instructions from Chief Mrs Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, the Iyaloja-General not to register them, a development we found absurd.
“As we all know, laws are made for man, man are not made for law. Iyaloja-General is a single entity, the market itself is a body of over a thousand people, if Folashade Tinubu-Ojo ìs the Iyaloja-General, thaf does not mean she will determine which market should be registered or not because in Lagos State today, we have a law that forbids street trading and illegal market and we neither don’t want to be tagged as operators of illegal market nor want our people to be seen as street traders, that is why we are beckoning on the LSHA to prevail and compel the Chairman of Agboyi Ketu LCDA to do the needful by registering Orilowo Perishable Foods Market as a fully recognized market in Mile 12 area of Lagos State.
In his reaction, Honourable Noheem Babatunde Adams, the Majority Leader, who spoke on behalf of the Speaker Lagos State House of Assembly, commended the CSOs and market leaders for the peaceful conduct of the protest.
Hon. Adams who admitted that protest is part of democracy also appealed for patience and understanding on the part of the agitators to enable members of LSHA to deliberate on the way forward.
“You will agree with me that Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa is a man of the people, and he’s always ready to listen to the yearnings of Lagosians. You elected us to office and we are here for you.
“I can assure you that the Honourable Speaker has approved the petition you wrote to us, and he has forwarded it to the Chairman of the Committee of Local Government and Chieftaincy and I can confirm to you that you will receive a letter of invitation today, Thursday, January 4, 2024 where you will be invited alongside the Chairman of Agboyi Ketu LCDA and other concerned stakeholders including the market leaders for an important meeting on Tuesday, January 9, 2024 where we will listen to everybody and find a way forward.
“So please give us this opportunity to do the needful, we assure you of justice at the end of the meeting” he assured.
Notable participants at the peaceful protest includes members of
Committee for the Defense of Human Rights, Lagos State Branch, Stakeholders of Civil Society Organisations in Lagos, Chief Isiaka Akande Abdullahi, the Babaloja Orilowo Perishable Foods Market among other stakeholders in the market.
By Ajibola Adedoye