By Oluwatoyin Mathnuel
Traders of Orilowo Perishable Foods Market in Owode along Ikorodu / Mile 12 Road, Lagos state has vowed to abide by the Lagos Market Laws and order as the market opened for operation on Wednesday February 5.
Speaking at the unveiling, the President of the Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR), Com. Alex Omotehinse, told the traders that they should obey all the laws guiding markets in the state, adding that the trader would have the human rights activists to contend with if they violate any of the laws of the state.
“CHSR as a reputable human rights organisation with a good track record on rule of law, equity, fairness and justice, which to use this opportunity to call the attention of the traders and the executives of Orilowo Perishable Foods Market that they should abide by the principles of Lagos Market Law at all times, be of good behaviour and obey sanitation law of the state to avoid a closure of the market.
“We are pleased to inform you that despite the fact that we fought alongside with you for the registration and approval of your market, whenever you are caught on the wrong side of the law, or you trample on other people’s rights you shall have us to contend with,” he said.
Omotehinse used the opportunity to thank the Chairman of Agboyi-Ketu LCDA, Mayor Dele Oshinowo and members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, especially the House Committees on Local Government and Rural Development and that of Judiciary, Public Petition and LASIEC for their roles in ensuring that the market was approved for business.
Omotehinse recalled that they received an official “Save Our Soul” complaint letter titled: “Request for Assistance on denial of their market registration by Agboyi-ketu Local Council Development Area” with proof and copies of correspondent letter between the market association and the Council on December 21, 2023.
He said that CHSR as a reputable human and socio-economic rights organisation, on behalf of the market association then wrote a letter to both the office of Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly and chairman of Agboyi-Ketu LCDA dated December 22nd 2023 with a caption; “Aquaintance of Complaints on Denial Of Registration Of Market, Abuse Of Office And Subsequent Demand For Urgent Intervention.”
“On January 4, 2024, CHSR with other civil society organisations led thousands of Orilowo perishable foods market traders to Lagos Assembly on peaceful protest with a position letter titled; “Violation of freedom of Association: Denial Of Approval For Operational Site For A.I.A Orilowo Perishable Foods Market Association” requesting for the intervention of the Lagos Assembly to avert state of anarchy in Agboyi-ketu council area over the denial of the market registration.
“The protest delegation was received by the then Majority Leader, Hon. Noheem Adams who promised that the assembly will definitely intervene as its their constitutional right.
“Though there were series of drama and scheming before the protest, a call was received from the State Assembly on Wednesday January 3, 2024, a day to the peaceful protest that they were ready to meet with the market association so that, we should call off the then proposed protest.
“On January 5, 2024, CHSR received an invitation letter from the office of the Clerk to the House of Assembly to appear before the House Committee on Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development on Tuesday, January 9, 2024.
“The letter was written to us as the petitioner, so, we appeared before the committee with Orilowo Market traders and some civil society organisations. On the other side of the seat were Agboyi-Ketu Council Chairman, Mayor Dele Oshinowo, the Council Manager, the council revenue chairman, opposing market men and women and several council officers,” he said.
Omotehinse revealed that after an extensive engagement and cross examinations by the House Committee members, the meeting was adjourned till January 16, 2024 with the proviso that both parties should come along with their lawyers and provide proofs of market law to corroborate their assertion and positions.
He stated that on the adjourned date Tuesday January 16, 2024, the committee resolved that both parties could operate simultaneously while Orilowo Market should perfect their documentations, but that to their dismay, through the letter dated March 7, 2024 titled “Resolution of the House” from office of the Clerk of the Lagos State House of Assembly communicating resolution of the House plenary session of Tuesday, February 27, 2024 which stated otherwise.
“In lieu of the resolution of the House letter, we felt uncertified and we wrote another complaint letter dated Friday, April 17, 2024 to the office of the Speaker House of Assembly, calling the office attention to the House Committee Chairman to the interest and influence on the resolution.
“Consequently, after waiting for more than a month, we wrote a reminder letter to the Lagos Assembly dated Tuesday, May 14, 2024 calling for urgent intervention to arrest the unrest within the community and harsh hunger status of the market traders.
“Along the line, in their quest to stop the registration of this particular market, those who opposed the registration of Orilowo Perishable Foods Market for a reason best known to them took several steps and wrote deferent fictitious petitions to deferent government agencies to blackmail the market site.
“It took the intervention of the CSHR through our letter dated Monday February 26, 2024 titled: “Clarion call for a thorough investigation and assessment before assigning your officers and men to carry out any action on the property situated at Plot 705 Ikorodu Road Owode Lagos State” to stop agencies “like Lagos State Task force on Environmental and Special Offences from being misled or used by unscrupulous element who cooked and gives wrong information about the market site to the agency that if allowed to operate it will be constituting environmental nuisance.”
He said that they also wrote the Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) through a letter dated Monday March 4, 2024 titled: “Clarion call for a thorough investigation and assessment before assigning your men and staff to carry out any action/enforcement on the property situated at Plot 705 Ikorodu Road Owode Lagos as the said property is said to be under litigation in a State High Court.”
“In the same vein, we wrote the General Manager of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) with our letter dated Monday March 25, 2024 with the same caption, but in fairness the LASTMA management invited us for a meeting where the GM summoned the Provost Marshal to explain what he knew about the said petition.
“With sincerity and fear of God, the Provost Marshal openly said that after receiving the petition, he led the delegation that visited the scene and after thorough investigations they put up their report that all the information given in the said petition by the petitioner were all false and they discovered that there was a dispute between two parties which is the reason the other party wanted to use LASTMA to achieve their aims,” he said.
Comrade Omotehinse however, revealed that after all the struggles, smiles were put to the faces of the traders when the House Committee on Judiciary, Public Petition and LASIEC, under the chairmanship of Hon. Ladi Ajomale, intervened and resolved the differences in the House Resolution, where all parties agreed to.
“Therefore, Orilowo Perishable Foods Market Association went further to perfect the documentation for the approval of the market, which was approved by Agboyi-ketu Local Council Development Area through an official provisional approval letter dated January 15, 2025.
“CHSR, as an organisation, unequivocally appreciate the promptness, swiftness and sincerity of minds of members of the Lagos State House of Assembly in reviving the hope of the hopeless market men and women whose sources of livelihood was threatened.
“The state assembly has always, through its standing committees, interfaced and resolved various issues that are affecting residents of the state, which make people referred to them as People’s Assembly, and the cynosure of parliamentary dictum in the country,” he said.
The Baba Oja (Market Leader), Alhaji Isiaka Orilowo, in his brief speech thanked Agboyi-Ketu LCDA Chairman and members of the Lagos State House of Assembly for their support, promised the market would provide perishable foods at affordable prices for all residents in the state
Alhaji Orilowo assured the media that the market will not by any means create unnecessary gridlock; as he concluded on maximum security for the traders, customers and their goods in the market.
