Traders in Katangua Market of Abule-Egba, Lagos State marched to the council secretariat of Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area recently to protest the arbitrary increment in levies and alleged extortion by the council’s contractor, simply identified as Odu.
Their placards read: “We want peace to return to the market;’ ‘We don’t want Odu’s levy collecting contract;’ ‘Traders are not slaves to pay levies above what they get out of their trading;’ ‘Don’t impose Odu on us.’ Speaking behalf of the traders, Mrs. Chidimma Egwu said they demanded the removal of Odu for alleged imposition of unwarranted fines and illegal levies on them.
They also accused him of seizing traders’ wares and intimidating them. A trader in the market, Mr. Gabriel Nwosu, said he paid N15,000 for a space in the market. But when he could not afford to pay N25,000 allegedly demanded by the contractor, he was chased out of the market without the sum of N15,000 he earlier paid being refunded to him.
Another trader, Mr. Yomi Folorunsho, lamented how his goods worth N80, 000 were seized by Odu.
“We usually pay N10, 000 every six months. Later, Odu increased it to N20, 000, and while we were complaining about this, he raised it to N25, 000.
He then ordered my goods worth N80, 000 to be seized and drove me away. Since then, things have not been easy for me because I don’t have any work to do except for my friends that help me occasionally,” he said.
For her part, Mrs. Blessing Okafor accused Odu of exploiting the traders for eight years, wondering why the council imposed him on them.
The council’s Executive Secretary, Mr. Dapo Famuyiwa David, commended the traders for their peaceful conduct and gave the assurance that Odu was given a specific area to collect levies.
He also said he had been instructed not to collect any extra charges. He also told them that Private Sector Participation (PSP) levies was not within the purview of the contractor, urging the traders to report Odu to him if he does anything outside his remit.
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