One year after Mrs Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, the Iyaloja-General (overall Market Leader in Lagos State) and daughter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, installed Iyaloja and Babaloja (market leaders) at the popular Ikeja Computer Village, peace has remained elusive there as some traders remain opposed to the development.
Mrs Tinubu-Ojo had in May 2019 installed Mrs Abisola Azeez and Mr Adeniyi Olasoji as the Iyaloja and Babaloja respectively for the largest Information and Communications Technology (ICT) accessories market in West Africa. Some traders have, however, insisted on their rejection of the installation and now said they have commenced the mobilization of all trade associations and ethnic nationalities in the market for a 100,000-man protest march against it.
The dissenting traders argued that Iyaloja and Babaloja titles were applicable “only to markets where foodstuffs and apparels are sold and not in an ICT marketplace.”
One of the traders, who refused to state his name, told our reporter yesterday, “People are being asked to contribute some money, which we felt was an extortion since we pay our regular taxes, income taxes and what have you. Now we have made up our mind to stage a massive nationwide protest to demand the sack of the market leaders. “Our appeal is that the Iyaloja should immediately remove the market leaders she appointed and then call us to a meeting. “We have commenced the mobilization of all trade unions, human rights organisations and Nigerians of all different persuasions to stage a massive protest to the state House of Assembly.”
Efforts to get the response of Mrs Tinubu-Ojo was not successful as her known telephone line was switched off.
Our reporter gathered that she had held a meeting with all the associations in the Computer Village and the Community Development Association (CDA) leaders on Monday evening with a view to resolving the impasse.
One of her aides, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, confirmed that efforts were being made to resolve the lingering crisis. At the end of the meeting, it was learnt, Mrs Tinubu-Ojo declared that she never asked any representative to illegally tax the traders, and that her name was only being dragged in the mud.
A former Vice-President of the Computer and Allied Products Dealers Association of Nigeria (CAPDAN), Mac Eze, confirmed the meeting held, but insisted that the traders remained opposed to the Iyaloja and Babaloja titles and elected CDAs leaders should instead be allowed to run the markets.
The crisis has been affecting commerce at the Computer Village, with intermittent closure of the market.