Traders at Bola Ige International Market, Gbagi, Ibadan, has berated the Oyo State Government under the leadership of Engr. Seyi Makinde for converting the only motor park in the market to shops.
They expressed their discomfort over the move by the government especially as the construction is being carried out at midnight to the surprise of the traders.
They described the step as an inconsiderate step by Governor Seyi Makinde’s led administration.
The construction of new shops at the market car park based on orders from the state government according to the traders.
The construction, which started in the middle of the night to prevent the unsuspecting traders from halting it, has sparked outrage in the market.
According to multiple traders, the park that the government is converting to new shops is the only one left in the market.
“Right now, there’s no designated place to park in the market. All day, everywhere has been clumsy because people had to park right inside the market,” one of the traders said.
“It’s happening out of nowhere. We just got to the market today and they said they are acting on the orders of Governor Seyi Makinde,” another source added.
New details gathered indicated that the shops currently occupied by traders in the market were recently allocated by the state government, with each trader paying N5 million naira for a very small store.
“I collected a loan to be able to afford this shop. I collected a loan of 5 million and I have to pay back six million,” one of the affected traders explained.
However, the construction of new shops at the market’s car park has created a gridlock, making accessibility to current shops in the market difficult for potential customers. “How do they expect us to make enough sales,” another trader in the market asked rhetorically. “My mother has a stroke. If I don’t make sales, how do I take care of her,” another trader added.
Multiple sources further explained that the construction of the new shops, which the government reportedly intend to allocate at N7.5 million each, is happening in spite of various protest letters written to the state government about its potential negative impact on trading activities in the market.
Some traders further alleged that the state government has resorted to ‘threats of military intervention’ to clampdown on traders speaking against the ongoing construction.
