3rd February, 2012
The Mile 12 Traders Association has pleaded with the Lagos State Government to re-open the market, which it locked up on Wednesday, to allow business activities to resume.
The association’s Chairman, Alhaji Haruna Mohammed, made the plea in Lagos on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
“Our farm produce, especially perishable ones such as tomatoes, pepper and potatoes, are going bad and we have lost over N10 million in just one day of the closure and today is yet another day.
“We are appealing to the Lagos State Government, to re-open the market, as a matter of urgency, so that our members and the general public can continue their routine activities at the market. We are ready to comply with all the directives of the state government on the issue,” Mohammed said.
He disclosed that the traders had concluded plans to construct a drainage facility around the market, to allow for free flow of water within and outside the market.
Commenting on the offloading of farm produce at the closed market, Mohammed said that the association got permission from the Lagos State Task Force to allow its members to offload their goods, so that they do not rot inside the trucks.
“The government gave us permission to offload our goods so as to expose them to air, so that we do not get to lose too much money,” he said.
Mohammed added that the goods that were being offloaded had already arrived at the market before its closure on Wednesday.
NAN also reports that the Mile 12 International Market, is the largest foodstuff market in Lagos.
The Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force on the Environment, Mr. Bayo Suleiman, told NAN on Wednesday that the market was locked up because of the dirty environment.
Suleiman added that the market was also causing a lot of traffic congestion on the busy Lagos/Ikorodu expressway at Ketu.
He said that the traders would be mandated to tidy up the market and create parking spaces for vehicles, before its reopening.
Meanwhile, the market association’s chairman moved around the market to ensure that the traders were not selling the goods which were being offloaded.
NAN also observed that all the gates of the market remained locked, while some traders gathered in groups, discussing the issue.