Okorocha to Ladipo traders: obey govt

To facilitate the re-opening of Ladipo market, Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, was in Lagos yesterday. With his host, Governor Babatunde Fashola, he visited the market and urged the traders to comply with the directive for reoopeining the place.

Okorocha, who assured Fashola of the traders’ willingness to comply with extant rules, appealed to his colleague to upgrade the facilities in the market.

The Imo governor said: “The governor is asking you to make your place better for your own good, but Your Excellency, I will request again; the road is good on one side, but the other side is not too good, knowing that you are a performing governor, I know you will tar this place very soon and I know you will do it as a friend and once you (traders) clean up this place, you will make it as other places in Lagos”.

He praised the traders for their understanding, saying environmental cleanliness and orderliness cannot be sacrificed on the altar of business

“I want to appeal to you for your understanding. Igbo are clean people; we are the cleanest people in the world and you cannot let us look like we are not clean anymore. I have come to appeal to him, because when I heard that you were losing revenue and you were no more making money and trading, I became concerned. I have seen the work being done and the place is looking better. I even asked what we can do to improve the lives of the people and the governor said anything he could do to make the Igbo happy, that he would do it and part of it is to make sure that this place is clean,” he said, warning the traders to shun hooliganism and fighting in the market,

“You have to stop all these, everyone cannot be the head of the market; you need to cooperate. Why you are here is to find what to eat and sustain yourself, not fighting. If you bring this attitude home, we will chase you back. Please, cooperate with him and I will come back here with him to launch the new Ladipo with electricity, network of roads, and other amenities you need, but keep the place clean,” Okorocha added.

Fashola said the government had also moved to upgrade the market, adding that it would be reopened as soon as the clean-up was completed.

“I think that the state developmental effort in Mushin has stopped because the contractor couldn’t access this place. Now, if you are tax-paying citizens, how can the state government develop other parts of the state and leave Ladipo behind? So, what you have asked for is the upgrade of the road, and restoration of the street lamps. It is the easiest thing to do and it will follow soon,” Fashola said.

He added: “We have no problem with the traders. The government and the traders have work to do in the market. And as soon as we are through with it, we will get back to our daily commercial activities. We will do it in a way that is sustainable for both the traders and the landlords. The factory owners and the residents must be able to access their homes and offices without any hindrance.

“This is the way that all of you will generate the revenue that I need to fix the road in the market. Before this week is over, we should be through with the exercise and we should get back to work.”

The Mayor of Ladipo and Eze Ndigbo of Mushin land, Dr. John Nwosu, has urged the traders to remain peaceful. He praised them for abiding by the state government’s directives to demolish illegal structures that constitute dirt in the market.