By TINA TIMOTHY

The Ajegunle Peoples’ Movement (APM) has expressed her support for the call by the traders of Ibafon Market for a reduction in the prices of the new shops built by the Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State.

APM also said that it favours a situation whereby there should be an all stakeholders forum where all the issues affecting the market, including the quest for reduction of newly constructed shop prices will be deliberated and resolutions reached.

APM, a community-based platform of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) in a statement from APM on Saturday which was signed by its Coordinator, Comrade Moshood Oshunfurewa, alleged that the goal of the private contractor rebuilding the market and the authorizing local government was to maximize profit, to the detriment of shop owners.

The statement reads: “The Ajegunle Peoples’ Movement (APM), a community-based platform of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM), supports the call by the traders of Ibafon Market for a reduction in the prices of the new shops built by the Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area led by Hon. Fatai Adekunle Ayoola. Ibafon Market in Coconut Area of Olodi-Apapa in Ajegunle is being rebuilt by a private contractor. The goal of this private contractor and the local government authorities is to make super profit at the expense of ordinary market women and men.

“Initially, the market traders welcomed the reconstruction and appreciated the development, only to be slammed with prices ranging from N2 to N4 million based on shop size categories per square metre. APM consider the prices not only out of reach but could also render them jobless or perpetual debtors.

“We in the APM believe that it is critical that the local government chairman listens to and responds to the Ibafon traders' appeal because the country's economic harsh reality makes it extremely difficult for ordinary people to survive. Besides, job losses and unemployment continue to rise on a daily basis, and a good number out of the workers, especially in the private sector, who are fortunate enough to keep their jobs have been forced to accept lower pay despite being hit by high inflation which has reduced their purchasing power considerably.

“The need for price of shops in the new ultra-modern market to be reduced in order to allow poor traders in Ibafon Market to own shops is further underscored by the experience like that of Alayabiagba ultra-modern market and Tejuosho Market. These markets which targeted the elite and rich people as occupants have had a lot of shops unoccupied due to high cost of procurement. Thus, it is our conviction that traders in Ibafon market stand chances of stocking their shops and regularly pay their appropriate taxes to the local government purse without fear of being run into perpetual debt if the sale/rent rate of their shops are affordable and the economy, in general, is run in the interest of the working masses.

“Moreover, we should be clear that Public-Private Partnership (PSP) arrangement in executing projects has failed because of the very high cost of projects as a consequence of the profit interest of contractors. And the policy of privatization and commercialization, embraced by the local, state and federal governments have not provided an iota of succour, rather it has put the price of things out of the reach of ordinary people. For instance, the privatization of NEPA, EKODISCO etc., has not resolved the epileptic electricity supply but then electricity tariff has gone higher; likewise the projects executed through the policy of PSP.

“It is our belief that for Ibafon Market, Alayabiagba Market, and a host of others in the local government and Lagos State to serve its real purpose and shops inside it to be affordable, its reconstruction must be done through adequately funded and well-equipped department of public works under the democratic control of workers and community people, including the market women and men. We also advocate for a democratically controlled and managed local government to include elected representatives of workers, traders and community people in such a manner that brings about transparency and accountability in the running of local government affairs. Not until then, the corrupt godfather system of undertaking projects will continue to exploit the working masses and become a conduit pipe for stealing public funds.

“We in the APM, therefore, call on the market women and men, market leaders and other stakeholders in the Ibafon Market to call for a mass organized meeting where all of the issues affecting the market, including the quest for reduction of newly constructed shop prices will be deliberated and resolutions reached, and if possible, a programme of struggle is agreed upon aimed at putting pressure on the Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government authorities to meet the demands of traders.”

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