Oyo warns plank market traders against confrontation
Oyo State government has warned traders at the Temidire market to shed their recalcitrance posture and relocate to the new site provided for them immediately instead of engaging in ‘misdirected, fruitless and stage-managed’ protests.
The government’s position was conveyed by the Special Adviser, Communication and Strategy to the Governor, Mr. Yomi Layinka, in reaction to the protests that have trailed the relocation order, on Saturday.
He said, “Our reaction to the stage-managed protest at the Temidire Market this morning (Saturday) is that it is misdirected and unfortunate.
“This project is only one among many of the ongoing statewide market redevelopment activities, and cannot therefore be sabotaged by any private interests purporting to represent some stakeholders.
“What we seek to do in Temidire plank market is to redesign and modernize it with infrastructural facilities for the benefit of all stakeholders, including the neighboring communities who have endlessly complained against the environmental hazard that they’ve had to live with for a very long time.
“This is quite apart from the very important need to forestall the large scale fire incidences usually associated with plank markets located within built-up environments.”
The government said it was not unaware of the manipulation of some vested interests bent on seizing the opportunity to foment trouble and frustrate its urban renewal and market development efforts.
For the avoidance of doubts, Layinka insisted that the Temidire market development project was a task that must be accomplished; no matter the machinations of those he called ‘misdirected few.’