Guardian Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Ladipo spares market shut!
By Bertram Nwannekanma, Isaac Taiwo and David Ibemere
LADIPO Automobile Spare-parts Market, located in Mushin Local Council of Lagos State is unarguably, Nigeria's biggest automobile accessories market.
It may also qualify as one of the most troubled markets in the state.
When the trouble is not about who gains control of the market by the leaders of the over 20 factions, it is over for the collection of revenue among a private firm, local council and the traders.
It may also be, as in the present circumstance, a disagreement with the state government over environmental matters, which have led to its repeated closure by the Lagos State government.
The government has also threatened to permanently shut or relocate the multi- billion-naira market largely dominated by the Igbo.
Like its first major closure that lasted close to a week, two years ago, leading to huge losses by traders, the market was yesterday, reportedly closed on the orders of the Lagos State governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN).
During the last closure, it took the intervention of the two former governors from the East before the former governor, Bola Tinubu could open the market. The traders also signed a Memorandum of Understanding before the market was opened.
But at yesterday's closure, supervised by Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) Marshal General of Lagos State and the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Babatunde Fashola on Environmental Matters, Maigeri Danjuma, a retired Nigerian Army Captain, the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment, seemed not to have been involved this time.
Spokesman of the ministry, Mr. Olusegun Adedeji, in a telephone interview claimed ignorance of the closure.
Although there was none of the claims, as in the first closure, that KAI officials were manhandled, the timing and the suspected ethnic coloration that characterized the first closure also played out yesterday.
One of the traders, Magnus Obiekwe, wondered why the government was always closing Ladipo Market on the excuse of a dirty environment, especially during the Christmas time when there are many dirtier markets in the state.
He said: " Though we agree that Ladipo Market is not as clean as it could be, is it the only one in Lagos?
" That the government will wait till the end of the year to shut such a market that thrives during the season suggests a hidden agenda.
"None of us had expected what we saw. Of course, we came for our usual trading activities after the weekend, only to see our shops under lock and key," he added.
But the battle for the control of the market among the various factions had also contributed to the problem in the market, according to the traditional ruler of the market, Chief Mike Nwosu.
According to him, the factions and disunity coupled with the activities of some government officials both from the local council and ministries in Alausa had impacted negatively on the observance of the details of the agreement, which led to yesterday's closure.
" There has been street- trading along the Ladipo Road, Mushin leading to perennial vehicular obstruction on the road. In that understanding reached with the government two years ago, the traders were to end street trading.
"But because of factions, it was impossible to effect any meaningful control.
Again, it is true that the market may not be in the best of conditions, even though, we had shortly after the previous closure set up a task force.
But, there was little the task force could do because they lacked the authority and support to maintain sanity in the market.
" We want government to give us identity cards or tags for the task force boys as KAI workers, which can give them the authority to clear those obstructing the roads.
Whosoever tries it without full backing of government will not last a week.
Some of the culprits claimed to be paying to the local council and some officials of the Ministry of the Environment at Alausa.
" We are appealing to the government to temper justice with mercy.
We know the governor means well so we ask him to reopen the market as soon as our people clear it, to allow us do business for the Christmas season since many are depending on the market for their survival.
" We are appealing to the government to help us by creating a Kick Against Indiscipline Unit in the market to ensure that discipline is maintained", he added.
A warehouse trader, Ignatius Oleka, bemoaned the closure, describing it as "unexpected."
He continued: "After the agreement signed with the government, we did not think a situation would arise again for the market to be shut because we set up a task force to look at the environmental matters with compulsory environmental sanitation every Thursday.
But soon, some powerful elements took over and what he saw was a return to the status quo", he said.
Oleka, who was expecting some containers from Apapa Warf yesterday before the closure, told The Guardian he had hoped to sell the proceeds to pay back loans from banks.
But the KAI Marshal General denied any ethnic or political consideration in the closure.
According to him, KAI Brigade is only carrying out orders, which is to maintain the cleanliness of Lagos as a mega city.
Danjuma, who said another market would soon be closed for habouring criminals in the state, want people to differentiate government policies from politics.
He also said the time chosen for the operation was not meant to hurt any particular ethnic group.
He said: "The governor loves all Lagosians. We have tried as much as possible to remain apolitical. The interest is to maintain sanity in the market and we will not continue to allow such level of indiscipline as seen on the road whereby traffic is blocked and movement hampered because people will not just obey rules.
"Because of indiscipline and traders blocking the road, it sometimes takes one hour or more on the road that is less than 300 metres.
" We had an understating the last time when there was ugly incident. The traders agreed to obey, and within the shortest time, when we came around, decorum had set in the market.
" We are acting on the orders of the governor, who may come here to see things for himself.
I want to assure you that the market will be re-opened as soon as the traders show remorse and willingness to cooperate with the government to keep the market clean," he added.
