Daily Sun reorts that traders under the auspices of South-East Amalgamated Marketers Traders Association (SEAMATA) have condemned Lagos State Government’s demolition of Electrical and Electronics Market in Oshodi.
Reacting to the demolition, President of SEAMATA, Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo said in Onitsha that Lagos State Government did not give the traders time to remove their goods before moving bulldozers to pull down their shops.
He demanded compensation from the state to traders whose shops and goods were destroyed during the market demolition, which mostly affected Igbo traders.
Ezenwankwo reiterated that the traders were not given enough notice and time to evacuate their goods before the demolition, and wondered why only few days’ notice was given to the traders after which they were not allowed to enter the market.
He also wondered why the demolition was carried out at a time traders travelled to their various hometowns for Christmas and New Year celebrations.
“Lagos State should have given the traders more time to relocate their goods before demolishing the market. The traders there are mostly Igbo, who travelled home for Christmas and New Year celebrations. Why did the demolition take place in absence? What will be the fate of those who lost their goods? We condemn the demolition of the market now and demand compensation to those who lost goods to the demolition.”
It was gathered that the state government had earlier given the traders notice to relocate to the new market built by the government which some of the traders denied.
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