Gbagi traders and Oyo govt bicker on conversion of car park to shops

by KakakiOodua Media Services in Business, Infrastructure, Oyo

Traders at the popular Bola Ige International market (Gbagi market) Ibadan have berated the Oyo State Government over alleged conversion of car park at the market to new shops.

The traders lamented hardship posed by the new shop on their daily living, saying most of them, particularly petty traders cannot afford to pay N7.5 millon to buy the newly constructed shops being sold by the State Government.

Some of the traders, who spoke with The Nation, described construction of the new shops at the car park of the market, allegedly carried out at midnight as unfortunate.

They said they have written several petitions to Governor Seyi Makinde, his Chief of Staff, Segun Ogunwuyi, Speaker Adebo Ogundoyin, Majority Leader of the House, Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, and Babaloja General of Oyo State to no avail.

The traders, who lamented the discomfort denial of a car park has caused to customers, passers-by as well as market men and women, said the development was insensitive and demoralising.

One of them, who pleaded anonymity said: “Right now, there’s no designated place to park in the market. All day, everywhere has been clumsy because people had to park right inside the market.

“It’s happening out of nowhere. We just got to the market today and they said they are acting on the orders of (Governor) Seyi Makinde.”

The traders also pointed to the clandestine nature of the construction, which started in the middle of the night, as a pointer to what they describe as an unacceptable disorganisation of the market.

The construction, which was said to have started in the middle of the night to prevent the unsuspecting traders from halting it, has sparked outrage in the market.

The Nation gathered that the shop* occupied by traders in the market were recently allocated by the State Government, with each trader paying N5 million naira for a very small store.

The Nation

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