Alleged Plot To Demolish, Sell Off ‘Gbagi Market’ To Gov Makinde’s Cronies Spark Unrest In Ibadan

…As CHRSJ kicks, set to get Justice for the downtrodden traders

….Condemns diabolical Plan of notorious agents

Alleged moves to demolish and sell off the Bola Ige International Market, popularly known as “Gbagi Market”, Ibadan in the capital city of Oyo State, have sparked massive protest.

Traders in the market recently trooped out in their hundreds to protest against the State Government and Governor Seyi Makinde over the purported plan to sell off the popularly Gbagi Market to cronies.

Sources disclosed that already the market had been marked for demolition as a result of the development.

The protesters alleged that Governor Makinde through his agents, was trying to bring pains, pangs and untold hardship on the market men and women, who are using meagre resources sourced from cooperatives, LAPO, GROOMY, SEAP and host of Micro-Finance Banks to trade in the market.

They alleged that the agents commissioned by the state government are re-allocating occupied space in the market with the new payment of One Million Naira(N1,000,000) after collecting the Expression of Interest Form for the allocation of the same space.

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The marketers under the aegis of Concerned Market Men and Women in Gbagi Market alleged that Governor Makinde was tactically planning to sell off the market to his cronies and agents by proxy as part of his parting gift to himself.

Makinde who became governor in 2019 would be rounding off his administration in 2027.

Some of the traders who alleged victimisation by the state government include; Saheed Oladosun, Alhaja Bola Okunade, Alhaja Sekinat Oladejo, Mrs Funmilayo Ajewole, Mrs. Aderonke Kadiri, Mr. Wasiu Idowu, and Mrs. Sidikat Moriyeba Babajide.

They listed the agents of Governor Makinde on Gbagi Market as; Alhaji Rasheed Ajagbe, Alhaji Sarumi, Alhaji Akeem Opakunle(OPAK), Mr.Bolaji Gbadamosi, Mr. Ahmed Annex Construction, Alhaji Benjium, Mr. Alare, Mr. Tajudeen, Mr. Shina, Mr. Kazma, Mr. Ijemeji, and Mr. Lanre who was said to be the career officer representing the aforementioned Ministry in charge of the market.

It was reliably gathered through the State Ministry of Trade, Industries, Investment, and Cooperatives that, the application for Expression of Interest Forms for allocation of the same space in the market were given to the affected Market Men and Women upon the payment of Sum of Five Thousand Naira(N5,000) only to an agent, HAMEX Construction LTD with First Bank Account Number:-2035854540.

While reacting on the issue, the human rights organization, the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ), kicked against the proposed plan by Governor Seyi Makinde to convert the market to his property by proxy under the guise of Public Private Partnership (PPP).

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The group disclosed that the market is the property of the good people of Oyo State and no Governor has power to convert the government property to his own.

CHRSJ, in a statement by its Executive Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman, alleged that, with available information at the disposal of the human rights body, the Governor had concluded arrangement being coordinated by his Personal Assistant, Mr. Seye Famojuro from Ijesa axis of Osun State to seal the arrangement with the said private individials.

Comrade Sulaiman disclosed that
it was not the duty of Mr. Seyi Makinde as Governor of Oyo State to intervene on the issue in respect of any market in the State but it was the responsibility of the Local Governments where such market were located as stipulated in the amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nogeria.

Sulaiman, who is also Convener, Save Lagos Group (SLG), urged Mr. Makinde to rescind all his alleged anti-masses plan against the poor market men and women in Gbagi Market.

The group, however vowed vowing to resist “the evil agenda of the State Government against the poor masses of Oyo State”.

The rights activist further stressed that the good people of the State have not committed a crime in voting for Seyi Makinde to be their Governor for the period of eight(8) years but to provide devidends of democracy to them with human face.

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Sulaiman further alleged Governor Makinde of selling all the larger percentages of the land located in a strategic places in Ibadan metropolis and other towns in the State to his cronies than any Governor that ever govern the State since its creation.

Recalled that “Makinde through his agent sold a land belonging to Federal agency called ARCEDEM under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology which they have been used to produce farm tools and production machines for production of farm products into finishing goods:.

“This land in question situated at “Wofun”, a subub area of Ibadan metropolis which covered the large hectres of land in the area, was sold by Makinde to a property developer called “Rayfield Gardens City” where the farm planting worth of Twenty-Five Million Naira(N25m) were destroyed within a twinkle of an eyes in the year 2022.

“The farmers and the victims of the dastard and illegal act of destroying the farm planting, were yet to recover from the destruction

“Some of the victims were; Mallam Abdullahi Abdulrauf, Mr. Rasheed Akeem Olalekan, Mr. Wasiu Rasaq, Abdulkabir, Chief Hassan Popoola, and Mr. Rasaq.

Sulaiman, therefore, urged the affected people and other indegenes of Oyo State to be ready to resist “any tyrannical and anti-masses policy of Seyi Makinde administration by encouraging them that “there would be light at the end of the tunnel”.

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No official response from the state government as at when this story was filed for publication on Tuesday.