Traders in the popular Bola Ige International Market also known as Gbagi Market in Ibadan have continued to express their frustrations following the new development taking place in the market over reconstruction of low-cost stalls and alleged conversion of car parks into high pricey shops by the government contractors.
Traders who could not keep mute again expressed their worries over the decision of the government to chase them out of the market due to new shop rents which they described as unaffordable.
Punch reports that due to ongoing modernisation embarked upon by the government, many traders have returned to the road side along new Ife-Ibadan Expressway and old Ife-Ibadan Expressway to continue their businesses.
FRESHPAGE recalls that traders in the market recently protested over action of the government contractor to convert low-cost stalls to new shops which they described unaffordable for them.
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The traders called the action of government as a calculated attempt to send them out of the market and make way for wealthy and money bags investors.
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Traders who spoke with Punch correspondent claimed that spaces that once rented for N20,000 to N30,000 now sell for N1.6m to N7.5m.
According to a trader, Wasiu Olawuyi, “government contractor destroyed my container shop. I was paying N25,000 for a big container shop annually. With new arrangements of 5×10 shop, they told me to pay N1.6m. the entire goods aren’t worth N500,000. How do they expect me to pay?”
“It was the poor who voted Governor Seyi Makinde into office. Now he is pushing us out for the rich to take over.”
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Another affected shop owner, Ahmed Alasepe narrated how his former rented shop of N100,000 a year skyrocketed to N2.5m after it was demolished and reconstructed by government contractor. Alasepe who couldn’t afford it has returned to his Eruwa in Ibarapa East and embrace farming due to displacement from market and not by choice.
