Market Women Protest Bola Tinubu’s Daughter Imposition Of N5m Fine
LAGOS NOVEMBER 18TH (NEWSRANGERS)-The Iyaloja General of Nigeria, Folasade Tinubu-Ojo has placed the Otto Modern Market, Oyingbo, Lagos State, on lock and key for the past two weeks, SaharaReporters has learnt.
Folashade, who is the daughter of National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, reportedly locked the gate to the plaza over complaints of trading in an untidy environment.
She further imposed a fine of N5million fine on the traders after giving two
days’ ultimatum for the traders to clean up the premises of the market.
SaharaReporters learnt on Wednesday that the traders started protesting after
forcefully entering the premises only to discover their goods have been rotten.
They were also protecting the continued insistence on the payment of the fine
despite having done proper sanitation of the environment within two days.
One of the traders told SaharaReporters that the aggrieved traders whose source
of income and means of livelihood depend on proceeds from the market forced the
gate open on Tuesday evening.
She, however, said they were pleading with Folashade to reopen the premises and
allow for the continuation of trading activities while calling for the
scrapping of the imposed N5million fine.
She said, “We are here in Otto modern market, Oyingbo. Our complex has been
locked for over two weeks now. The Iyaloja, Folashade, Tinubu’s daughter came
and locked it up since two Thursdays ago. She was demanding for N5million fine
for leaving the environment dirty.
“This is a place where wholesalers sell foodstuffs, raw foodstuffs, perishable
items, any type of foodstuff you’re looking for. All over Lagos, the Oyingbo
market is known as a place where you can come and buy items and resell them at
your price. This place is really populated, a lot of people trade here, they
come from all over Lagos to come and make transactions.
“We were here when she (Folashade) came and locked up the premises with the
claims that the environment is dirty and we were given two days ultimatum to
clean up the environment which has been done.
“As we speak now, the DPO is here, a lot of people are here to take a view of
the premises. The place has been cleaned up. The angry traders were forced to
pull down the gate in the late hours of yesterday, that attracted a protest
this morning because a lot of goods have been spoilt – Garri, potatoes, have
been thrown out this morning.
“Whereas she is still bent on payment of the N5 million fine that if we
don’t pay, this place will not be opened and a lot of people depend on the
earnings from this place to feed their families, take care of themselves, some
people who took loans are still paying, shops have been locked, a lot of
customers have been frustrated.
“As a wholesaler, I have a lot of customers who depend on me but they have been
disappointed for the past two weeks because I have no access to my own shop.
“People are here protesting seriously against the spoilt items and the
N5million fine she is insisting we have to pay. We are going round the whole
complex with the DPO right now. We are hoping that Folashade will give approval
for the proper opening of the place because it was forcefully opened by angry
traders.”
In videos shared with SaharaReporters, the traders, obviously affected by the
barricade, took to the streets to call for the intervention of the local
government so as to continue with their trading activities.
They displayed banners on which were inscribed, “Folashade Tinubu, Ahmed
Tinubu’s daughter, leave Oyingbo market alone. Mainland Local Government, hear
our cry. Courtesy: Oyingbo Market Traders.”
Saharareporters
Short URL: https://newsrangers.com/?p=79124
Posted by News Rangers
on Nov 18 2021. Filed under National.
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