Merchants protest alleged plan to demolish advanced in Lagos Laptop Village

Merchants on the Police Officers Wives Affiliation (POWA) purchasing advanced in Laptop Village, Ikeja, Lagos have condemned an alleged plan to demolish the advanced.

In response to the merchants who deal in laptop and knowledge expertise devices at phases I and II of the advanced, the spouse of the Inspector-Normal of Police, Elizabeth Egbetokun, purportedly gave the directive for the demolition of the property.

Talking to journalists on Monday, the chairman of the Laptop Sellers Affiliation, Tayo Shittu, stated there are 300 outlets within the advanced with over 1000 merchants paying hire for greater than 20 years.

The landladies, based on Mr Shittu, embody wives and widows of retired and serving cops who’re the unique allottees of the properties.

He added that a few of the tenants pay between N300,000 and N400,000 yearly and have additionally been answerable for paying taxes imposed on the property by the Lagos State Authorities, together with the Land Use Cost.

The merchants appealed to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, and the state Home of Meeting to intervene.

Extra lamentations

In response to the previous chairman of the Laptop Sellers Affiliation, Belief Tobechukwu, a developer recognized as Reaching Greatness Properties, despatched a letter informing them to depart the advanced as a demolition would happen.

“Now we have written to the Inspector Normal of Police’s spouse by way of our lawyer however we’re but to get any response from her. They need to contemplate the occupants of the outlets as a result of that is our supply of livelihood,” Mr Tobechukwu stated.

One of many merchants who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES, Chimaeze Iwuji, stated they acquired a letter from the developer that that they had 30 days to maneuver out for the demolition of the buildings.

“We advised them to present us a correct letter from the suitable authorities, they stated no. From all indications, it includes a developer and one or two folks from POWA to demolish this place,” Mr Iwuji noticed.

Cause for proposed demolition

In a petition in opposition to the developer and the nationwide chief of POWA, dated 7 December and directed to the IGP by way of the Authorized Hub Partnership, the merchants declare that the demolition plan was proposed by Reaching Greatness Restricted to the Nationwide President of POWA and the Nationwide Market Chief.

They famous that the proposal was premised on the truth that the POWA Section I and II are dilapidated, defaced, and distressed and have been advisable for demolition by the Lagos State Ministry of Bodily Planning and City Improvement and Lagos State Constructing Management Company.

In her feedback, the Iya Oloja of Laptop Village, Abisola Azeez, dismissed the rationale cited for the proposed demolition as simply an excuse to displace the over 1,000 merchants within the advanced.

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Mrs Azeez expressed hope that they may come to phrases with the nationwide leaders of POWA and resolve the problems amicably.

“My store has been right here since 1999. POWA all the time offers us points right here and we now have our respective landladies. The merchants are answerable for all the upkeep and improvement of the plaza. They wish to dislodge us and herald new folks,” Mrs Azeez stated.

“The plaza is a one-storey constructing and it doesn’t have any structural defect. In the event that they want a rise in fee or if there are points we have to resolve, they need to inform us so we are able to resolve every part.”

The merchants stated RFI Integ. Providers, a geotechnical engineering firm, carried out a non-destructive structural integrity take a look at on the buildings and authorized it match.

Nonetheless, when PREMIUM TIMES contacted the liaison officer for POWA, an official, Omoh Oziegbe, confirmed the event however refused to talk on it.