FEMALE traders at the demolished Ago Ishaga Market in Mushin, Lagos yesterday urged the government to bar National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) from taking over their shops after the rebuilding of the market.
The women, who stormed The Nation corporate headquarters in Matori, complained about what they called the “excesses” of NURTW chairman Suleiman Adio.
The traders, led by Kazeem Yusuf, their spokesman, said Adio has vowed to stop them from returning to their shops.
Yusuf said: “The state government about three weeks ago carried out some rehabilitation works in the market especially at the canal side leading to Isolo Road and in the process some stalls were demolished. After the reconstruction, the market women were asked to rebuild the market themselves. But to the surprise of the market women, the NURTW in Mushin denied them access to the market in a bid to stop them from reconstructing their stalls.”
He said Mushin Local Government Executive Secretary Jide Bello, had been briefed on the matter, adding that nothing meaningful has come out of the talk
He continued: “Alhaji Sulaimon Adio claimed that he was not informed about the reconstruction of the shops by the market women and despite the intervention of the Executive Secretary of Mushin Local Government, Adio has refused to grant the women access to their shops.
“The Chairman of NURTW in Lagos, Tajudeen Agbede, has been informed too and he is trying to resolve the matter amicably. Attempts by all the parties have not yielded the desired results. That is why we are appealing to the state government to prevail on Adio and his men to give peace a chance.”
A market leader, Alhaja Kafayat Ajose, said many of the women were widows.
“All we want is for Lagos State Government to help call Adio to order and restore our portion of land to us,” she said.
