Steer clear of our union – Traders tell Lagos govt

By Dotun Ibiwoye
Traders at the Aguyi Ironisi International Trade Centre, Ladipo, Mushin, Lagos State, yesterday, rejected efforts by the State Ministry of Environment to end the disputed crisis rocking the market’s leadership, describing it as a ploy to impose leadership on them.

The traders who have been locked out of their shops by the ministry for more than a month now, said after a ‘meeting of traders’, that the ministry does not have the responsibility to mediate among disputed parties in the market.

Spokesman of the traders Obiajulu Nwankwo, said, “ur shops have been sealed by the Ministry of Environment for alleged violation of environmental laws for more than a month, but we do know that it was a cheap ploy to interfere in our internal crisis.

“Now they are talking of mediation among parties, in order to impose a team of leaders we don’t want on us. The market was built by us (traders) and there is an agreement to that effect, all parties must respect it. “

The ministry does not have the power to settle parties in dispute because it is not an environmental issue, and the ministry is not a mediation centre. All we need is for them to reopen our shops and allow us solve our problem by ourselves and if we can’t, we go to court of law.

We have a constitution, a president and an elected executive, who represent our interest; the ministry does have the power to do so for us.” When vanguard contacted the Director of Enforcement at the Ministry of Environment, Adetola Onisaratu, for comments who his handling the mediation he refered us to director of public relation for comments.