Traders seek Assembly’s intervention over eviction notice

Traders at the Idi-Orogbo Market in the Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos State have sought the intervention of the Lagos State House of Assembly over the eviction notice issued to the butchers in the market by the state’s Ministry of Agriculture.

The traders took protests to the Assembly complex, Alausa, Ikeja, and the All Progressives Congress secretariat, in Ogba, Lagos, on Friday in their numbers.

They held placards and sang solidarity songs, lamenting that the government issued the notice despite fulfilling all required procedures for the registration of the disputed abattoir.

It was learnt that the Ministry of Agriculture, through its Veterinary Services Department, had on August 3 issued a final abatement notice to the operators of the Idi-Orogbo slaughter slab in Eleko, Ibeju-Lekki.

The notice, signed by a Chief Veterinary Officer, accused the traders of operating illegally in violation of the state’s Meat, Animal Traffic, Trading and Slaughtering Law, 2003.

“That unless you abate the nuisance within 14 days from the service of this notice, you shall be prosecuted under the provisions of Sections 4 and 5 of the Meat, Animal Traffic, Trading and Slaughtering Law, Cap M2, Laws of Lagos State, 2003, and the land where the slaughtering is carried out shall be forfeited and compulsorily acquired by the Lagos State Government,” the notice read in part.

Expressing their grievances in a letter signed by the market heads, Suliat Ajibowu, Omotayo Bello, and Kazeem Egunjobi, and addressed to the Speaker of the Lagos Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, and the state Chairman of the APC, Cornelius Ojelabi, the traders alleged that the new market was being backed by a politician in the area who had also continued to harass and threaten them.

They noted that they had paid the sum of N2m to the state government for the registration and regularisation of the abattoir, but efforts to get the approval proved abortive.

The letter read in part, “We are being forced to abandon our long-standing market and relocate to a privately-owned market. This attempt amounts to coercion, and it places thousands of families at risk of economic ruin. What makes it even more disheartening is that this same honourable member, during his campaign, sought our support and votes with several promises of empowerment and assistance to market women.”

They appealed to the Speaker and the APC Chairman to come to their aid and resolve the issue.

“In light of the above, we respectfully urge you, sir, to use your good offices to intervene urgently to stop the forceful eviction order issued by the said representative member.”

Addressing the traders, the Lagos APC Deputy Chairman, Moshood Maiyegun, assured them that the leadership of the party would look into the matter.