Early last Wednesday, Oshodi made the news again, with a bulldozer at work. On orders of governor Akinwunmi Ambode, it rumbled through the Owonifari market,Oshodi, Lagos, crushed and flattened everything on sight within the market. But cries of traders at the market, roared louder than the bulldozer which pulled down the market. “I am finished, I just arrived from China with over N20million goods, they have crushed everything. Where will I start from?”
It was a cacophony of noise, curses, abuses mixed with rage and anger. Even by-standers and onlookers did not spare the authorities, as some of them muted abuses on the Ambode-led government for destroying the market with goods worth over one billion naira. A few others said: Traders in Lagos are stubborn, they will never hear, that is good for them!
Kenneth Madu, a trader in the market told newsmen that he had been extremely brutalised as he lost everything he had laboured for in the market.
Battling emotion, Madu stated: “I just stocked my shop with new items I brought in from China a few days before the Christmas holiday. When I heard that they have sealed up the market, I rushed down to see if I can evacuate all my goods from the shop. They denied us access into the market and chose to demolish the market with all our goods. I had more than N20million goods in my own shop. Others had more. All attempt to remove our goods failed. I even offered to give the police N200,000 just to allow me remove my goods, they refused. I have been brutalised and traumatised. This is murder, they have killed us.”
He gazed again at what used to be his small shop that contained his over N20million goods leaned back to clear his over-burdened brain of the confusion and said: “This government is wicked and inhuman.”
Asked whether there was any notice to that effect. He stated that there was no notice of the demolition, “they only came to serve a 21-day quit notice that Isopakodowo in Bolade has been provided. But the 21-day quit notice has not expired. Even where they said we should go at Bolade is uncompleted, small and cannot contain all the traders in this market let alone attract the patronage we receive here,” Madu stated.
Another trader, Mr Sunday Obi said: “I heard the government had sealed up the market while I was at home for Christmas, I quickly rushed down, but I got here on Wednesday. They have demolished and destroyed everything I had in the market. I had over N10million worth of goods. I sell wires and electronics in my shops. This morning I came to see if I could pick up a few things from the rubble, but I saw fire everywhere again. Who set fire on what was left?
“We don’t know. But, it means, there was a deliberate attempt for us not to pick up anything from here. If they (governments) don’t want the Igbos in Lagos, they should come out to tell us. How can they demolished the market without allowing us to remove our goods? It is inhuman,” he said.
Obi stated that over 2000 traders had their goods trapped in the demolished market, with huge loses that run into over a billion naira. “About 2000 traders had different goods in the market. I really can’t estimate what we have lost but a modest estimate will be over a billion naira. At a time when people have spent all what they had to re-stock preparation for business in a new year, it is wicked,” he said.
In 2009, Ambode’s predecessor, Babatunde Fashola, was praised for clearing Oshodi, ridding the areas of miscreants and easing traffic gridlock in the area. Following this development, Ambode who after inauguration said his government will govern with compassion, is perhaps set to conclude the unfinished job BFR started on Oshodi seven years ago.
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wicked APC government God will judge you all
ReplyDeleteIs it only Igbos that operate at Oshodi market? Were others not also affected? Abeg these people should stop thinking they're so special. There are other ethnic groups in the country and they don't wail half as loud as Igbos! Besides this policy is an execution of previous governments from as far back as 10 years ago. The state government has been hinting on this planned demolition for about a decade and the leaders of that market were duly informed up till as recent as 21st Dec. But trust our people; we never take warnings seriously.
ReplyDeleteWell spoken Martins. The headline of the news should also be changed, it is misleading. I am also sure the government gave them notice.
DeleteWow i actually feel bad for them oh. I feel maybe they should have still allowed them evacuate even though it was out of stturboness they didn't take the govt seriously. They maybe wanted to teach them a lesson but 1billion naira chaii the lesson is too hard. Kai well whats done is done. My Igbo brethren haba its not only u in Nigeria now dont be so self centred the country does not revolves around you. God bless Nigeria.
DeleteAsked whether there was any notice to that effect. He stated that there was no notice of the demolition, “they only came to serve a 21-day quit notice that Isopakodowo in Bolade has been provided. But the 21-day quit notice has not expired. Even where they said we should go at Bolade is uncompleted, small and cannot contain all the traders in this market let alone attract the patronage we receive here,” Madu stated.
ReplyDeleteIf the above is true, then this is most unfair. The result of this can be very counterproductive. No one looses this much and goes to sleep. To re-launch themselves, many will engage in robbery, and perhaps cause loss of lives. Who knows, the Governor's relative may be a victim. What goes around comes around. Meanwhile, Igbo people should start looking inwards. There will come a time when Nigerian ethnic groups in their home state will no longer tolerate non-indigenes.
Biafrans go home if you can't obey the laws of Lagos state. Nobody claimed marginalization when shops and beautiful houses were demolished at Ikorodu .
ReplyDeleteWe don't need to fear that ibos will maltreat other tribes trading in their land. No non Ibo thrives in iboland. Before you can pick one Hausa man trading in onitsha you will pick 100,000 Ibo traders in Lagos ,20,000 in ibadan and 50,000 in Kano 30,000 in kaduna.
In the event of retaliation ibos will cry blue murder again o
Go to your town hall meeting and advise you're pole to cooperate with other tribes instead of treachery.
Nothing you do can please the ibos ambode ride on. Even you need to go and reorganize Alaba to ring sanity to the onitsha crowd imported tolagos.
Why pay lip service to Biafra .if you want to follow Kanu shut your shops for just one week.selfish people
Ibrahim
Igbos should go home, ojukwu stated this many times b/4 he departed, look at what Yoruba's are saying, pls poeple in mushin oladipo, yaba market, trade fare and now oshodi market.pls if you poeple cannot learn lessons then continue wondering in Lagos, we have a lot of land in ebonyi,Abia,Imo,Anambra, Portharcourt, bayelsa, Enugu etc.
ReplyDeleteThe worst that can happen to man is to reject himself, come back home, many have died like this, stop and rethink enough is enough. How many time was announced in radio or TV station, this is new year,Good bless you all.
This is false. Even if you give our people 10 years notice, they will not move. Meanwhile, the Igbos traders might as well move to their region since Biafra is in the offing
ReplyDeleteThis is a good development....if igbo people cannot read the handwriting on the wall well I don't know what to say about it..very stubborn set of people...go back home and invest you say no....they won't warn you again...the next target 🎯 will be alaba market that is when your eyes will open 🔓....Again go back home and invest there...A word is enough for the wise, stupid and stubborn
ReplyDeleteI don't believe the govt would just wake up one day and say 'go and demolish the oshodi market', there must have been several correspondences between them, the chairman of that market should come out and explain himself and we also need to hear from the govt too. With all said and done, I still think, the govt should have given them a day or two to move their goods out of the market whether they were served notice or not and this is not about the Igbos, it's about Nigerians, where do they start from now.
ReplyDeleteIn future, people should take these notices serious and apart from the govt serving the people themselves, the members of the public should also be carried along its a public place and this would also put paid to misinformation if any by those affected
The most reasonable response I've read so far. When something of this nature occurs, we need to get away from seeing things only through the prism of ethnic loyalties, and simply see the suffering of fellow Nigerians.i am embarrassed at the vitriol of some comments - what hatred! A couple of days to remove their goods would have been humane and magnanimous. A good leader cares for all.
DeleteNigeria is evolving. I look to the day when legislation will define and promote citizenry in any part of our nation as a function of duration of (tax paying, crime free) habitation in a particular city/town/place, rather than a function of ancestry or ethnicity. That will be the day when we will really have 'One Nigeria', not the lip service we pay to the concept today.
Lagos government has come out to say that they were given enough notice. So, let the igbo trader or their leader also come out to challenge the government openly to know the truth.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, if they want Biafra, they should start creating enough market now. After all, they have created their own international passport.
I'm always amazed at the level of tribalism displayed on social media. That people can spew such hate comments against other tribes always baffles me.
ReplyDeleteFunny how all you tribal bigots quickly forget ur hatred for other tribes once conji or hunger hook Una.
Good lesson for enemies of Nigeria setting this country back. Problems governor Fashola settled must be settled forever. Ruthles and enemies of Nigeria must pay for not complying to Nigeria rules. More of such actions we are expecting no individual or groups is greater than the the nation. We must obey our laws so the good days of this country would rebound
ReplyDeleteI before others called ibo should go home to develop biafra and not Lagos. Lagos is not no man's Land. It is becoming clearer. Are you the only tribes there having shopes ,no single Yoruba abi. You turn everything to politics. Selfish abi.
ReplyDeleteI before others called ibo should go home to develop biafra and not Lagos. Lagos is not no man's Land. It is becoming clearer. Are you the only tribes there having shopes ,no single Yoruba abi. You turn everything to politics. Selfish abi.
ReplyDelete