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Ladipo Market traders lose over N200m to demolition: ‘We don’t know our fate yet’ – GEORGE CHINEDU

What’s your reaction to the Tuesday demolition of this market by the Mushin Local Government Area?

Actually, I was at home when somebody called me that they have started demolishing some parts of Ladipo Market and which we all know this our section here is the heart of the entire Ladipo Market.  So, definitely it must be this place that the person was talking about.  And when I got here, truly I met the people from Mushin Local Government with some armed men and hoodlums demolishing this place.  They have removed many roofs.  If you’re here that day, you would have seen how our people were reacting.  But we noticed that with the armed men and hoodlums that came here that day, we couldn’t have any access to our stalls. We couldn’t do anything because they were chasing everybody away.  We noticed that even after the vandalisation, most people that kept money in their shops couldn’t find it after these hoodlums left.  Nobody to challenge them.

How has it affected your business now?

It has really affected my business.  Actually, we came back on Wednesday, we got to know that they only gave us just a month to relocate.  Even, right now, we don’t know our fate.  It’s affecting our business generally because most people are no longer coming.  In this business, sometimes people will buy and keep.  Now, they are afraid to buy anything because if they buy they are not sure of keeping their goods here again or how they will take them out.  So, the situation we’re in is really affecting us.

How much did you lose to the incident because we’re told rain spoilt a lot of items?

Yes, a lot.  There was rain on Wednesday and Thursday, July 1 and 2, 2015.  That of Thursday was heavy and it spoilt a lot of things because most of the shops don’t have roofs anymore.  I have lost a lot, running into millions.  I am still calculating the whole thing to know how much exactly I lost in the wicked demolition.

What do you want the Lagos State Government to do on the issue?

I am appealing to His Excellency, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode to intervene and give the stakeholders of which I am a bonafide member, the assurance of retaining their stores after the renovation.  Right now, we don’t know our fate.  We don’t know if we’re going to lose our property.  We don’t even know where we’re moving to.  That’s why we’re appealing to the governor and particularly the local government that owns this place to avail us fair treatment.

How long have you been in this business?

I have been in it for about 18 years.  I am from Awka, Anambra State.-

– TADE ASIFAT

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Ladipo Market traders lose over N200m to demolition: ‘We have lost over N200m’ – VITUS OKPARAOKA (Gen. Sec.)

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