Igbo traders in Katangowa market have been assured of space allocation after the market is reconstructed.
The Chairman of Agbado Oke Odo Local Council Development Area, LCDA, Dr Augustine Arogundade, gave the assurance when he met with the leaders of the Igbo traders at the Council Secretariat in Abule Egba on Wednesday.
The Lagos State Government, on Monday, demolished the Katangowa Market to pave the way for the development of the new Computer Village in the area.
The traders had expressed fears of being displaced totally from the market during construction and after the completion.
They appealed to Dr. Arogundade to use his good office to ensure that they are accommodated in the market as shop owners.
In response, the chairman clarified the situation surrounding the demolition of the market and explained the plan of the state government to construct a modern and befitting market complex to meet up with the standard of a smart city like Lagos.
“The plan to build an ultra modern ICT market complex has been on ground since the administration of former Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, and various stakeholders’ meetings were held to sensitize all stakeholders by both the state government and contractors handling the project. And since government is a continuum, the present administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has embarked on the construction.
“As you all can see, the council secretariat was also affected, as the mosque, church, councillors’ offices and perimeter fence were affected in the course of the demolition to make way for dualization of the access road into the market from the expressway.
Dr Arogundade told the Igbo traders that he had written to the governor, and also held a meeting with the commissioner in charge of the project to provide a temporary trading site for unhindered business activities while construction is ongoing.
He also used the meeting avenue to warn extortionists who collect money from traders under the guise of paying for temporary space for trading.
The Chief Press Secretary to the chairman, Edafe Oghenebrume, qouted him in a statement, as saying, “this warning is imperative because of the crisis this extortion caused among Arewa traders few days ago, when some of their leaders collected money from their members after promising them protection from demolition of shops,” he said.
