LASG GIVES ALADE MARKET TRADERS OCTOBER FINAL DEADLINE TO QUIT

After five years of sustained resistance, over 1,000 legal and illegal traders in Alade Market, Ikeja at the weekend unanimously agreed to the ultimatum which directed them to relocate to newly constructed alternative place within 60 days.
Also, a 16-man committee saddled with the responsibilities of ensuring the successful relocation had been constituted after the Ikeja Local Government, Concessionaire of the market, and the association of Market Women and Men had agreed to the ultimatum.
The Executive Secretary of Ikeja Local Government Area, Hon. Adekunle Adeokun, presided over a stakeholders’ meeting held at the council’s head office, Ikeja where all parties agreed to relocate from the market before or on October.
However, the executive secretary pointed out that few concerned traders “are still resisting our plan to redevelop Alade Market to the true status of Africa’s model megacity despite all we have put in place to ensure their successful relocation.”
He explained that the local government had already directed all the owners of shops and concerned traders “to quit within a period of two months. The concerned traders are not owners of shops in the market. They simply rent shops from the shop owners. So, they cannot stop us from redeveloping the Alade Market.
“We have waited for five years. We agreed to build 200 more shops to accommodate all legal traders in the alternative market. We plan to reconstruct two roads to avoid traffic congestion in the area within the timeframe. We have agreed to build a bridge that enable customer and traders to enter and exit the market from Oregun road.”
Also speaking, the Managing Director of Master Reality Int’l Concepts Limited (the concessionaire), Mr. Lai Omotola said the government “has given a 60-day extension for the relocation of the market and all the traders. The deadline will elapse on October 7 and all the traders, except few concerned ones, have agreed to the relocation plan.”
Omotola added that the Iyaloja-General of the Association of Market Women and Men, Mrs. Shade Tinubu-Ojo had held a meeting with the market people and the concessionaire on Thursday, noting that they all agreed unanimously.
He said the Iyaloja-general pleaded with the concessionaire “to make the alternative market habitable and comfortable for all the traders. A 16-man committee headed by the Deputy Executive Secretary, Prince Oluranti Olufon had been put in place. The committee comprises six members from the market, five from the council and five from the concessionaire.”