Traders Protest Harassment

Hundreds of traders from the Aguiyi Ironsi Spare Parts Market at Ladipo, Mushin in Lagos, southwest Nigeria yesterday protested against alleged undue harassment by the Mushin Local Government and called on the state government to intervene in the matter to avert further problems.

After the market sanitation yesterday, the traders, under the Traders Association, Aguiyi Ironsi Complex delayed the opening of the market and met over the harassment by the council officials.

The traders carried placards and called on the Mushin Local Government Chairman, Hon. Adepitan Babatunde, to leave the association alone and stop trying to impose a leader on the association.

President of the traders association, Mr. Jonathan Okolie, said the association had so far paid the Mushin Local Government over N9 million as dues between 2008 and 2009 while he presented receipts to verify his claims.

He said despite the payment, he was accused by the council of embezzling the association’s money. He added that the chairman said the money was never paid to the council.

“We have been worried by recent events in the market and the plan by the Mushin Local Government to close down our market. We wish to state that an order made by Justice S.O. Ishola of Lagos State High Court prevented the initial attempt by the Mushin council chairman from dissolving our association.

“However, the association has filed a suit against the chairman, pending at the Lagos State High Court before Justice Pedro,” he stated.

When P.M.NEWS called the chairman on his phone, he said he was in a security meeting. He also did not respond to a text message until the time of filing this story.

—Kazeem Ugbodaga