konknaijagirl | On 10, Mar 2013

Traders at the Ketu Ifelodun Plank market, which burned to the ground yesterday, have begun reconstruction barely 15 hours after the incident. The plank dealers indicated today that they wanted to avert the likelihood of an undesirable Lagos State Government intervention.

The fire comes as a big blow to a nerve and hub centre for tradesmen as well as a distribution outlet for foods and goods coming into Lagos from other states. The Cause of the fire is as yet undisclosed and it seems traders are suspicious of the Lagos State Government’s intervention believing it may have been a vendetta or ruse to get them to abandon land from which they have traded for generations to the government.

During the visit by officials of the government this afternoon, the dealers said they suspect the government secretly wants to take the market from them. One of them said that a former a former Chairman of the Agboyi Ketu Local Government, Mrs. Yetunde Ariobieke, had tried hard to take over the market following a similar fire incident some years back, but had failed.

Describing yesterday’s fire as ‘strange’ and ‘suspicious,’ the affected dealers prayed that the fresh move by the government similarly fails. The visiting officials, who included the Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr. Wale Ahmed, and the Director-General of the Lagos State Safety Commission, Mrs. Odebunmi Dominga, were shunned by the traders as they tried to explain that the state government’s only intention was to clear the burnt land.

Even as Mr. Ahmed tried to assure that trading activities would resume as soon as possible, he was ignored by the traders, who said they have no trust for the administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola whom the officials were representing.

Cullled From Naija Center News

Image Credits – Sahara Reporters