The New Spare Parts Agodi Motor Garage Traders (Gate) Ibadan, Oyo State have sent a Save-Our-Soul (SOS) to Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde and the chairman, Ibadan North-East Local Government Area of the state, Ibrahim Akintayo over the planned demolition of their over 1,000 shops for which they got allocation and subsequently built by themselves since 1973.
The traders said they had never defaulted in payment of their dues to the government to give way for a modern motor park.
The SOS message was jointly signed by Messrs Bayo Akintoye, Sikiru Okiki Oyetunde and Fatunbi Tajudeen, chairman, vice chairman and exco member, respectively, on behalf of the traders.
They implored Governor Makinde and other concerned authorities to reconsider their position in the interest of their members and families, so as to make life liveable, considering the current hardship and socioeconomic situations in the country.
The statement added: “We woke up last week Thursday and met all the over 1,000 shops being marked for demolition by the state government. We swung into action by contacting our landlord, Ibadan North-East Local Government Area and also meeting the state Commissioner of Police, Adebola Hamzat, who advised against our planned mass protest to the state secretariat, citing the situation in the country as not too conducive for such.
“The CP contacted the council boss to dialogue with us in the interest of peace in the state and since we have been dialoguing, our resolution to the government is that they should settle us to a better place before demolition, so as not to add to the hardship, poverty and pains we are all passing through,” the statement added.
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