LAGOS CONSIDERS RELOCATION OF LADIPO MARKET

There were indications yesterday that Lagos State Government might relocate West Africa’s largest spare parts market, Ladipo, from Mushin as a permanent solution to the recurrent crises of environmental nuisance and abuse of use of public installations often caused by its traders.

The indications emerged shortly after Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) gave three major conditions to the market dealers and traders, under which he said the state government would not re-open the market.

A government source disclosed the plan to THISDAY yesterday, stating that a committee headed by the state's Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, had recommended the relocation of the market on the grounds that the place “is no longer ideal for market” with the growing population of Lagos.

The source added that though the recommendation had not been adopted, the committee, which comprised experts on environmental management, had suggested Ikorodu or Badagry as the likely areas, where the market of that capacity could be situated with a little or no negative impact on the environment.
According to the source, if the report which recommended the relocation of the market is adopted at last, the state government will however not relocate the market immediately.

It will definitely give timeline for the relocation plan and also make necessary preparation towards the plan, which we hope will solve the problems.
The source explained that the state government had lost billions of naira, which it expended “to build road infrastructure and comprehensive drainage system in Ladipo and its axis.

The road was constructed in 2005 and it was expected to last for more than two decades. But the roads are already gone.
“Activities of the dealers and traders caused the road damage. People trade on the road and walk-sides.

The artisans who operate on the tarred road and discharge oil products on the road made of asphalt, making the road disintegrate.

We cannot continue to lose tax payers’ money like this,” the source said.
But Fashola gave the conditions while inspecting the market along with Bello and Chairman the state Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences Unit, Mr. Bayonle Sulaiman, precisely one week after the market was shut.
During the inspection, the governor explained that “the market was shut after warnings and visits by different teams of the state government functionaries; yet the traders did not heed the warning.”

He described the state of the market as massive degradation of a section of the state, adding that the good thing in the visit was that the traders had seen the lack of caution in their deed and were ready to make amends.

“It is a massive degradation of a section of Lagos and this is not acceptable. People should not carry on like this.

But what is, perhaps, worthy of note is that those who are involved have seen the error of what they have done here and are ready to work with us to clean-up and I have said here that they must take the lead”.

Source: Thisday