By Florencemary Nwabueze
Traders and market leaders at Oshodi Resettlement Market have appealed for dialogue after commercial activities grind to halt following dispute that led to the closure of some part of the market by the Lagos State Government on Tuesday.
It was gathered that officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), popularly known as KAI, were allegedly attacked during an enforcement operation which led to the market closure. Following the incident the Lagos state government announced the closure of the market.
Traders and market leaders described the incident as a misunderstanding and appealed for engagement between the government, market authorities, and the Hausa labourers popularly known as "kaya" workers.
Mr. Obinna Nwosu, popularly known as "Americana," a member of the executive of the Ankara Dealers Association, said the crisis stemmed from an enforcement operation involving the kaya workers.
"What happened yesterday was a misunderstanding. The government came to enforce the law on some of the kaya people. The issue involved the management of the kaya workers and the market union. Things got out of hand during the enforcement exercise." Nwosu said
He further explained that although he was not present when the confrontation occurred, he rushed to the market after receiving a distress call regarding the situation.
"When I arrived, some of the uniformed officers told me the market was fighting them. However, the market people also narrated their own side of the story. That is why I believe it was a misunderstanding that needs to be resolved," he said.
According to Nwosu, the closure has severely disrupted commercial activities and affected traders who depend on daily sales for survival.
"I closed my shop yesterday and many others were also affected. Today, some shops were locked again. Most of the people here survive on what they earn daily. The longer the market remains closed, the more hardship it will cause," he said.
He urged the government to engage all parties involved rather than punish the entire market community.
"The government needs to bring all parties together. The kaya workers are important to the market because they help move goods and unload containers. If there are criminals among them, those individuals should be identified and removed, but innocent people should not suffer," Nwosu said.
He also proposed the introduction of an identification system, including uniforms and registration numbers, to distinguish legitimate workers from miscreants.
Another trader, who requested anonymity, told our correspondent on Wednesday that he witnessed parts of Tuesday's confrontation.
According to him, KAI officials arrived at the market to apprehend some kaya workers, leading to resistance from a group of labourers.
"When I came to the market yesterday, I saw a commotion around the Post Office Complex area. KAI vehicles were parked there and people were being picked up. At some point, I saw stones and sticks being thrown towards the vehicles as some of the boys resisted the arrests," he said.
The trader said officials later returned with reinforcement and carried out further arrests.
"They came back after some hours. The sirens were on and they continued picking people. This morning, when I arrived at the market, I saw that shops around the affected area had been locked. I was told that some shop owners were also being questioned over allegations that they aided the resistance," he said.
He noted that kaya workers play a vital role in the daily operations of the market by helping traders transport goods from trailers to warehouses and shops.
"These workers are everywhere in Oshodi. They help traders carry loads and move goods around the market. They are part of the daily operations here," he said.
The trader added that the proposed introduction of uniforms could help improve identification and accountability among the workers.
"It will make it easier to know where a worker belongs and help avoid confusion whenever there is an incident," he said.
Market executives have commenced meetings to discuss possible solutions and how to engage government authorities on the reopening of the affected sections of the market.
Traders expressed hope that discussions between stakeholders and the Lagos State Government would lead to an amicable resolution and allow normal business activities to resume.