Abibatu Mogaji Model Market, popularly called
Iponri Market in Lagos State, has been opened 10 days after it was locked up by
the state’s market leader, Folashade Tinubu-Ojo.
It was
learnt that the market was opened, after each trader paid between N500 and N1,
000 as fine, while those who did not pay the money as of Saturday, were fined
N5,000.
Market
sources said while Tinubu-Ojo demanded N5m from the traders before the market
was opened, those she sent to open it made an extra demand of N200,000, but the
traders bargained and paid N50,000.
Our
correspondent was also told that part of the condition given by Tinubu-Ojo, who
is the daughter of a former Lagos State Governor and leader of the All
Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, was that all the marketers must tender
their membership card of the APC.
PUNCH Metro
had reported on February 12 that Tinubu’s daughter stormed the market
penultimate Saturday with a team of policemen and locked it without giving any
explanation.
Traders, who
spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, had, however, said
the crackdown was the fallout of a fight between a woman loyal to Tinubu-Ojo
and a member of the market committee.
The woman
was said to have been locked up in a police cell, which made the state market
leader angry.
When our
correspondent visited Iponri Market on Tuesday, he observed that life was
gradually returning to it. It was learnt that the market committee had been
dissolved, while the market leaders had been asked to “step aside.”
A source, who pleaded anonymity said, “Part of the
decisions of the meeting we had with the Iyaloja-General (Tinubu-Ojo) on
Thursday was that the market leaders should step aside for some time, while the
market committee should be dissolved.
“Those of us operating big shops were asked to pay
N1,000 as fine, while those with small shops were told to pay N500. Those who
did not pay when others contributed the money have been asked to pay N5,000.
“The women that the Iyaloja-General asked to open
the gate for us asked for N200, 000 extra, but people begged them, and they
eventually collected N50,000.”
The source said when the committee members were
going to see the Iyaloja in her office, they were mandated to come with APC
membership cards or they would not be attended to.
Another
trader, who identified himself as Kaka Ibrahim, a painter in the market, told
our correspondent that the traders also owed the council three years rent, and
the traders were told to pay their debt in two weeks.
Ibrahim
said, “Initially, the Surulere Local Government council was collecting N500 for
big shops and N250 for small ones, per month. But in 2012, the money was
increased to N1,500 and N500 for big and small stalls respectively. We stopped
paying because the money was too high.”
Tinubu-Ojo confirmed the opening of the market to
our correspondent. She added that money was collected as fine, which was a norm
in the market.
She said,
“We have opened the market. I sent some people to open it. Yes, we collected
money as fine, which is the norm in the market. But I don’t know what other
thing you are talking about.”
She, however, cut off our correspondent, saying she
was busy. A text message later sent to her on the APC membership allegation was
not replied.
The council
Chairman, Tajudeen Ajide, in a telephone interview with our correspondent,
said, “We opened the market because they have agreed to pay all the money they
owe.
“We just built two modern toilets and we are
charging them just N1,500 per month; tell me, are we asking for too much? The
value of what they sell in some of the shops is over N20m. So, how is it that
they cannot afford that small money? The market committee gave these shops out
for between N20, 000 and N30, 000. How can we have development in Nigeria if we
keep doing things like this?”
Tags
Society
CaN u imagine what dis small girl is doing to traders? Hmmm. Well no be ur fault.
ReplyDeleteWhen someone said that PDP is bad but APC is worse, the person was not far from the truth. This is a taste of it, the so called progressives. From intimidations and bullying to thuggery and who knows what next
ReplyDeleteJust come n try dat rubish of no apc membership card no entry in my area, u will end up regreating ur action, intimidating n forcing people to join ur oppressive party, apc is anoda future failure.
ReplyDeleteAs far as am concern there is nothing like APC
ReplyDeleteWhere is that Ufochi or what is his name,Mr APC,no comment and Ralph u brother
ReplyDelete