Lagos reopens Mile 12 Market

Arising from a satisfactory meeting and agreement reached with all the stakeholders involved in the operation of the Mile 12 Market, Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has ordered the re-opening of the Mile 12 food market.

Ambode, in a statement yesterday, said the re-opening was as a result of the outcome of the stakeholders meeting held between the market men/women, traditional leaders in the community, residents and Community Development Association (CDA).

Some of the major agreements arrived at after the consensus-building meeting includes relocation of the market to another suitable place, as the existing site could no longer contain traders and ban on the use of commercial motorcycles (Okada riders) in the area.

Others are the co-existence amongst all ethnic groups in the market and environs, removal of all shanties and illegal attachments/structures within the market area, activities to be confined within the market area and no street trading, with the promise to trade in a clean and hygienic environment.

In his reaction, Secretary-General of the market, Alhaji. Mohammed Abdul, thanked the governor for his intervention in the reopening of the market. “We are glad that with the reopening of the market, everyone can now recoup their losses. We have lived in peace for several years in this community and nothing can divide us now. We, however, pray that those who lost their lives rest in peace,” he said.

When The Guardian visited the market yesterday, there was still heavy presence of policemen in the area. The Public Relations Officer of Perishable Foodstuff section at Mile 12, Alhaji Shuaib Badamosi, thanked the Oba of Lagos for his role in the amicable resolution of the crisis.

“It was not easy for us, especially we in the perishable section because of the nature of our goods. Many of us had to relocate to Kara Market in Ogun State to salvage some of them. With this temporal relief, we will keep to the conditions and await further directives on government’s plan for relocating us.”

It would be recalled that Ambode shut the Mile 12 Market on March 3, 2016, after a clash between residents and Okada operators.