Traders and shop owners in Ayegbaju international market, Osogbo, Osun State, have called on Governor Ademola Adeleke, to intervene and save them from the barricade built by the new developer of the market to cripple their sales.
The protesters who stage the protest at the entrance of the market were seen carrying different placards with various inscription like “Open Ayegbaju gate for us”, “Eje kari oja ta, E ba wa si gate wa”, among others written in Yoruba.
A shop owner who identified herself as Mrs Lawal, explained that the market entrance has been locked for over a month by the new developer.
She said, “for over a month now, we realized that the gates were locked, and when we asked the security to open them for us, he will tell us he had been instructed not to open them.
“The first 6 months after we opened the market some years ago, we didn’t make any sales. In this year, we realized that a new developer has been engaged, and he started behaving to us rudely, and that was when we went to the Commissioner and the developer was directed to open the market by the commissioner.
“At this point, we want a meeting with the governor, the ministry of commerce, and whoever bought this place. They should not frustrate us because it’s our money, we are suffering, and all our goods are expiring because there is no market, no customer is coming in to patronize us due to the locked gates.”
Another shop owner in the market, Adebayo Ademola, called on all stakeholders to intervene on the market, adding that they will not rest untill their voice is heard and normalcy is restored.
Reacting via telephone call, the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Bunmi Jenyo, said the place was closed for the safety of customers, traders and the masses because there is ongoing work at the hotel where heavy cranes are working
According to him, “the entrance to the market is not where the traders protested. The entrance of the market is beside the Living Trust bank and there are other entrances at the back.”
