To address concerns related to the recent demolition of several buildings in the Alaba International Market area and some other markets in Lagos, the Lagos State Government will establish a joint working committee.
Some of the ambiguities surrounding the demolition exercise are to be clarified with the committee’s assistance. Market authorities will be included in the joint committee, according to the state administration.
This was said by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu during a meeting on Friday in Lagos with Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, Hon. Ben Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, and several Igbo businessmen.
Recall that when certain buildings at the Alaba International Market were recently demolished, some people claimed that the Lagos administration was targeting a particular region of the nation.
Sanwo-Olu refuted the charge by claiming that some misunderstandings about the government’s conduct had been cleared up in the meeting and that the committee will go around to confirm the claims.
“We just finished a meeting between myself and the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, and the Deputy Speaker Honourable Kalu and other market leaders of our various Igbo markets in Lagos, some community leaders, and also some state government officials.
“The meeting had gone on successfully, we discussed issues around a common interest, especially issues bordering on the recent demolition around Alaba Market where there has been a lot of wrong information and communication.
“Our conversation here this afternoon has cleared the air. We have seen that indeed there is a need for us to further collaborate. Where wrongs have been expressed we have corrected all of the issues and the views and we have jointly set up a small working committee that will go around, verify, and see things for ourselves and be able to put all of the negative information and media review out correctly,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Sanwo-Olu also urged the populace to go about their daily activities fearlessly, assuring them that the government would always pay attention to their concerns and permit everyone to prosper and operate their enterprises.
Governor Uzodimma spoke and commended Sanwo-Olu for listening to their concerns and taking quick action by forming a committee to investigate the problems right away.