Another Harsh Closure

Traders at Ladipo Auto spare-parts market in Lagos groan under the harsh arm of the law, as their shops remain shut following some fracas

By Emma Maduabuchi

The more than 60 hand-propelled carts chained together and lying idle near Skye Bank at Ladipo Auto spare-parts market in Lagos tell the story of the market since the past few days.

For the past one week, the carts have been beaten by rain and sun without much care. And the fact that the owners have not been able to make use of them since Thursday, June 23, 2006 showed, that something was amiss.

The once bubbling market, with its deafening noise is in limbo. The market has suddenly become a shadow of its old self.

Before now, it was difficult to walk through it in 30 minutes, from the Toyota Bus stop area to the promise-land area, as a result of the usually huge vehicular and human traffic.

Eventhough banks like Skye, United Bank for Africa (UBA), First Inland Bank, have been opening for business, they were as good as closed as very few customers enter there premises.

For most traders, for whom the market has provide a means of livelihood, the times are hard. Many are painting pictures of severe hardship and suffering for their families.

For many who spoke with The Source , last Wednesday, it has been a most harrowing situation. Since that Thursday, many of them have been coming around the place, but had not been able to gain entrance as the police had blockaded the place.

Okwuchukwu Okwuosa, who told The Source , that he sells vehicle lights, explained that he comes around everyday to see if he could get word on when the market would be re-opened for business.

The police had not allowed them access to the place as at each end of the arch formed by the Ladipo Road and Belo Streets there was one Police Amoured personnel Carrier (APC) parked with enough policemen around them.

Infact, as things had turned out, the hardship being experienced by the people who earned their living from the market, had dragged many into engaging in illegal activities like extorting money from residents and workers around the area.

Last Monday the police had to do extra job by clearing the people from the expressway, who had come expecting that the market would be re-opened.

Attempts by The Source to get information on the re-opening of the market, Wednesday, July 5, 2006, did not bear much fruit as the association's officials were said to be having meeting with state officials.

At the Ladipo International Shopping Plazza (known as promise-land), the project manager, Charles Amulu was not available for comment as he was said to be in the meeting with the Lagos state government at Alausa.

But according to his secretary, Gbenga Fasina, nobody know when the market would be opened until the meeting was concluded. He stated that the Lagos State government only gave orders for the closure of the market on Thursday, without any statement.

He stated further that it was unfortunate that the whole market had to be closed, even when the trouble was restricted to Aguiyi Ironsi (International Trade Centre), area, and managed by Panamo Ventures, owned by Hassan Alajoku, a politician who was recently murdered at Osun State.

Speaking further, Fasina explained that his own warehouse and sales area at the promise-land did not have any problems with what took place that Monday. Fasina:"We don't have any problems here, that is why we can't understand why the government had to close every where."

Already, many stories have been told about what really gave rise to the closure of the market. The closure which had been given commercial and tribal interpretations is already being seen by many as the product of a family disagreement.

The Source's investigation revealed that Patriarch of the Olajoku family, Alabi Hassan, had sold his 25 year lease to the place now known as Aguiyi Ironsi (International Trade Centre), at Panama to some traders, who developed it.

The agreement then was for the traders to, after developing it, organise their own management of the place, so that no hoodlums would take over the management. Unfortunately for them, Olajokun died in mysterious circumstances at Osun State.

As a result of his death, his first son who had been sojourning in the United States of America (USA), came back to take over the management of the place. The Source learnt that he tried to introduce some hoodlums to manage the place which the traders resisted.

Report at the disposal of The Source , last Thursday revealed that after meetings with the Lagos State government, the traders would still wait for some time.

Sources revealed that the government had given notice of the discovery of a lot of illegal structures at the market, and would commence their demolition, after which it would give the terms and conditions of re-opening the market.