28th October, 2010
Tension is mounting in Oke-odo Market as the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, plans to establish a motor park in the market.
P.M.NEWS checks revealed that the market, which was built by the community in 1982, has no plan for a motor park in the master plan but a car park which was meant to accommodate traders’ cars.
According to the Iya Oja of the market, Chief Mrs. Modupe Shonola, the landlords of Oke-odo community in the early 80s met and decided, during one of their meetings, to assist the community by building a four-classroom school which was named Oke-odo Community Primary School. She explained further that in 1986, the market leadership invited Ikeja Local Government, which was controlling the area then, to come and start collecting revenue for the local government. She said there was no problem until Alimosho was carved out of Ikeja LGA in 1991.
“In 2003, the founders and trustees of Oke-odo Market Association entered into a joint venture agreement with Alimosho LGA where all the parties agreed on a certain per centage of the revenue collected by the market to be remitted to the local government for further development of the market, but the government have not done anything in the market though we continued to remit the money.â€
Speaking on the present crises with NURTW, the Iya Oja said the market leaders only constructed a car park for traders in the market but later allowed commuter bus drivers popularly called Danfo drivers to enter the car park and drop their passenger and leave immediately. But instead of showing gratitude, the commuter bus  drivers have now decided to build a motor park in the car park.
“These NURTW have now decided to use our car park for their motor park they forced traders to pay illegal fees to the extent that they have even gone as far as collecting a permit from the local government to operate a motor park in the market.â€
When P.M.NEWS asked her if the market leaders have reported the matter to the police, she said when the NURTW took the permit to Oke-odo Police DPO who came to inspect the area, the DPO told them that there is noway a motor park can be sited in the market.
She also told P.M.NEWS that they have petitioned Governor Babatunde Fashola to come to their aid before it gets out of hand.
“We have taken our case to the Lagos State Governor. This is because we are law-abiding citizens and we do not want to be seen as law breakers.
—Yusuf Muhammed
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