Say the Lagos government is victimising the Igbo people.
The Lagos International Trade Fair’s Board of Trustees argued on Tuesday that due to the closure of the market by the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), marketers have incurred losses exceeding N2 billion.
The Board of Trustees (BoT) also characterized the action taken by the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) as an “abrupt and unfair closure.”
In response to inquiries from the media regarding the closure, the former Chairman of the Trade Fair and Board of Trustees (BOT), Chief Daniel Oforkansi, expressed his confusion, stating, “I fail to comprehend why LAWMA does not consider us as human beings. No prior information or official notice was given to us; they simply arrived and locked our shops.
“We are not in debt to them; we possess receipts and substantial evidence to support our claim. When it comes to markets in Nigeria and indeed across Africa, the Lagos International Trade Fair stands as a beacon of pride. Attempting to quantify the losses incurred due to LAWMA’s unusual actions for just one day is an impossible task. The reported N2 billion in cash transactions is a mere fraction of the actual losses sustained today. I cannot fathom what LAWMA is contemplating, but I firmly believe that the legal system will ultimately provide resolution.”
Furthermore, Chief Eric Ilechukwu, who represents the Trade Fair Stakeholders Forum, the overarching organization encompassing the 62 associations within the complex, remarked, “I did not anticipate such a move from LAWMA, especially during this critical period when people are still grappling with the removal of fuel subsidies.
We are already deeply hurt, and many within our community view this as an unjust targeting of the Igbo people by the Lagos government.
However, all attempts to contact Mrs. Folashade Kadiri, the Director of Public Affairs at LAWMA, proved unsuccessful, as she did not respond to calls, text messages, or WhatsApp messages from our correspondent.
In the meantime, Kunle Adeshina, the Director of Public Affairs for the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, confirmed the enforcement action on his social media handle (formerly Twitter) on Sunday. He stated that the agencies were carrying out the directive issued by the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab.
On Sunday, October 22, 2023, in compliance with the instructions from the Honourable Commissioner of the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources (HC MOE&WR), LAWMA closed down ASPAMDA, BBA, and various other markets situated within the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex.
