Sanwo-olu Pays Merchants N100m In Compensation.
In order to compensate the traders at the burned Akere Motor Parts and Allied Dealers Association (AMPADA) in Ajegunle, Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Council, Lagos State Governor Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced on Wednesday that N100 million would be donated. He maintained that politics should not be allowed to divide the community.
Sanwo-Olu gave the contribution during the ceremony to lay the groundwork for the rebuilding of the market that caught fire last Thursday, revealing that the new market will be a storey building rather than the cottage it had been previously.
The governor said that the goal of the merchants’ compensation is to lessen their losses.
“We pledged to return here a week or so ago to provide urgent help to those who were impacted by the sad tragedy. It’s simply a coincidence that it’s election season; this isn’t politics.
“I’m glad to be here to formally set the groundwork for the new market structure. Now that it is a story structure, the tiny recompense would lessen the pain and loss experienced by our shopkeepers in this area. It is our responsibility to state unequivocally that we are not concerned with issues of ethnic or religious conflict but rather are a people-centered administration seeking to improve the lives of all citizens, regardless of political affiliation.
“They will always be accommodated as long as they follow the law, obey environmental rules, and preserve the history of the area where they do business.
This will also make it plain to those who want to divide us that we won’t allow a small number of individuals to split apart a large portion of the population or get them access to Lagos or our government.
Fatai Ayoola, the chairman of the Ajeromi-Ifelodun LCDA, commended the governor for maintaining his word to assist the populace and pledged that they would return the favor by supporting him on Saturday.
According to your promise, you are in Ajegunle today to make up for the marketers’ losses and set the groundwork for their new market, he added. We appreciate you and hope that the election on Saturday will reward your efforts.
“Since you’ve done so much for us, we pledge to do all within our legal means to canvass for you in Ajegunle. You reconstructed the Mbakadoso and Obafon highways and provided the Maracana Stadium for our children.
We are grateful and will always be grateful for the leadership and stewardship you have provided to the real residents of Ajegunle.
Previously, a team from the council and the permanent secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyitolu, went to the site to remove dirt and debris in preparation for the market’s upcoming reconstruction.
Oke-Osanyitolu said that the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had given the council chairman and his agency instructions to work together to achieve both the quick completion of the market and the provision of some relief to the vendors.
The governor requested, he said, that his organization work with the neighborhood council to identify the impacted merchants and determine the proper level of compensation.
Hence, in accordance with the governor’s instructions, “we are attempting to put a smile on the afflicted victims,” he said.
He said that tireless effort will be made to reconstruct the market, working around the clock to meet deadlines and lessen the incident’s negative effects on the impacted vendors.
Although while Mr. Jimoh Abolaji, the secretary of the Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Council, declined to provide the precise number of impacted stores, he insisted that the council would be crucial to the reconstruction and support of the merchants.
Senior council officials have been reassuring the merchants that they may do business freely inside the council after the event, he said.
