Affected traders of the demolished Owonifari Market in
Oshodi Lagos today said that the State, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is acting on
Oba Rilwan Akinolu’s comment on Igbos during the last Governorship election in
the State.
Some of the traders who spoke to greennews.ng alleged that the
verdict by the State Government to demolish Owonifari Market was an
evidence that the Ambode was witch hunting Igbos in Lagos.
A trader identified as Obinna while narrating his ordeal told
greennews.ng that: “I didn’t take anything away from my shop. The two weeks
ultimatum given to us is not enough. By what the Lagos State Government is
doing, it shows that they are against the BIAFRA (Igbos) people.
“If the people in this market are 100, Yoruba is only five. Our
chairman was arrested on 31th night because of this demolition. Though he has
been released now. When this market was open it was called electronic
market. But they changed it to Owonifari market because of their
tribalism. Ambode is doing what OBA Akiolu said – that Igbos that doesn’t vote
for APC will perish in the lagoon”.
Another victim under the condition of anonymity claimed to have
lost many goods as a result of the demolition adding that the State Government
made no arrangement after sending them parking.
“Before you move somebody from where the person is earning his
living, you are to make a proper arrangement for that person somewhere else. He
did not make any arrangement for us. We have about 5000 shops in this
market. I was inside this market on January 2nd packing my goods with many
people in the market. They started throwing tear gas in the market and arrested
some people who are still in Kirikiri today. My shop number is G39. There was
two weeks notification from the Government that we should pack our goods and
vacate the premises.But came with bulldozers before the two weeks ultimatum
elapses”, he said.
However, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr.
Steve Ayorinde, said the move was geared towards the need to sanitize and
beautify the Oshodi area and bring transformation, in particular, to the
Owonifari area, as well as the entire bus stop terminal, which had been
constituting a menace and an eyesore in the locality.
Ayorinde said: “The Owonifari area will be transformed into an
ultra-modern bus terminal with new bus shelters that are befitting of a structured
park in a mega city”.
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