The Lagos State Government revealed
that their worst fears was confirmed when bunkers and arms where found
hidden underneath some of the shops at the popular Owonifari Electronic
Market loop at Oshodi, Lagos.State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde, at
an inter ministerial chat with reporters on Thursday, said that the
demolition exercise on Tuesday and Wednesday actually confirmed some of
their fears, “as we discovered concrete bunker and arms underneath the
shops.”
The government said plans were already in top gear to begin the construction of a world-class bus terminus in the loop.
It would be recalled that bulldozers swung into action late Tuesday
night, destroying over 1000 shops in the Owonifari loop following a quit
notice served to the occupants on December 21, 2015.
Contrary to the claims that the 16-day notice order was too short,
Ayorinde said that the issue dated back to 10 years, with back and forth
negotiations held with leadership of the market on relocation to a
larger Isopakodowo market about 200 metres from the demolished site.
He stressed that the move was in the
best interest of everyone, adding that the state government could not
have been more magnanimous with the conditions of the new market and the
rate at which the new shops were rented out.
Ayorinde, however, said while markets would always be in Oshodi, some illegal structures already marked by the state government would have to be demolished to make way for traffic free-flow and crime-free Oshodi axis.
He said: “The intention was not to destroy the market or destroy properties or to make life inconvenient for them. We believe very strongly that Isopakodowo market is quite ideal; its a lot bigger store-per-store than where they had been removed now and the aim of government, as we stated earlier, is to ensure that that area of the market conforms with the type of image that we want Lagos to be, which is to return sanity to the place, to beautify the market, to construct a world class bus terminus around that place and to ensure that people who use that place on a daily basis – the commuters, traders, everybody enjoy what it means to go to a market in a mega city.
“We also believe that the exercise will largely reduce the gridlock that is associated with that area and then the criminalities that were rampant in that Oshodi. What we have done is in the interest of the generality of Lagosians,” Ayorinde said.
Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, said contrary to claims in some quarters, none of the occupants’ properties was destroyed in the demolition exercise.
Ayorinde, however, said while markets would always be in Oshodi, some illegal structures already marked by the state government would have to be demolished to make way for traffic free-flow and crime-free Oshodi axis.
He said: “The intention was not to destroy the market or destroy properties or to make life inconvenient for them. We believe very strongly that Isopakodowo market is quite ideal; its a lot bigger store-per-store than where they had been removed now and the aim of government, as we stated earlier, is to ensure that that area of the market conforms with the type of image that we want Lagos to be, which is to return sanity to the place, to beautify the market, to construct a world class bus terminus around that place and to ensure that people who use that place on a daily basis – the commuters, traders, everybody enjoy what it means to go to a market in a mega city.
“We also believe that the exercise will largely reduce the gridlock that is associated with that area and then the criminalities that were rampant in that Oshodi. What we have done is in the interest of the generality of Lagosians,” Ayorinde said.
Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, said contrary to claims in some quarters, none of the occupants’ properties was destroyed in the demolition exercise.
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