Traders seek governor’s help to stop market takeover.

Traders seek governor’s help to stop market takeover.

White Sand Market traders in Lagos Mainland have appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to stop alleged bid by the council to take over the market.

.Their leader, Alhaja Sherifat Thanni, said the council Chairman, Mrs Omolola Essien, threatened to take over the market despite a court order.

Thanni said Justice Akinkunmi Idowu of the High Court directed them to meet with her for settlement, adding they did not get a response to their letter requesting a meeting.

The court, in suit LD/7078GCM/23, restrained the council and attorney-general from taking over the market pending determination of the suit.

Thanni said in 2001, council sought to rebuild the market, which they built themselves and had been maintaining.

They said council brought in another contractor in 2014 to reconstruct the drainage, for which they paid N20 milllion.

For some reason, the project was not done and was left for the traders to handle yet again.

“Now the council said they want to demolish the market because of the drainage. We are tired of their extortion…” Thanni said.

 The traders urged the governor to ensure the contractor completed the drainage work they paid for.

They also want Sanwo-Olu to intervene in the continuous threat by the council to take over the market.