MICHAEL AKINOLA
The Executive Chairman of Mushin Local Government, Hon. Emmanuel Bamigboye, may have started implementing what he termed Local Government autonomy by over ruling the decision of the former Governor of Lagos State Governor and now President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by renaming Aguiyi Ironsi International Market.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that Hon.Bamigboye has announced the renaming of a section of Ladipo Market Aguiyi Ironsi International market commissioned by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on 15th February, 2005.
He claimed that the market belongs to the Local Government and therefore, exercising his powers as Chairman by creating market board and renaming the market back to its original name, Paramo International Spare Parts Market.
Bamigboye explained that he has restored the original name of Paramo International Spare Parts Market knowing fully well that the market was not named Aguiyi Ironsi International market by the traders.
The Lagos State Government, which gazzetted the place for market instead of the hospital it was originally designed for, contracted it to be developed by developer.
According to Bamigboye :”The market, previously renamed Aguiyi Ironsi Market by the Igbo community, will now revert to its former identity, the decision was made to preserve the market’s historical roots”.
While Mr. Bamigboye was making the declaration, the son of the late Director of Paramo Development Ventures, late Hassan Olajokun, who developed the market by partnering with the traders, Mr. Ajibade Olajokun was there and knew that it was Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu that named the market after late General Aguiyi Ironsi.
P.M.EXPRESS investigation revealed that the late Hassan Olajokun was a strong political associate of Asiwaju Tinubu and was given the market to develop on 25 years lease and thereafter he will hand over the market to Mushin LG.
When the market was completed the then Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, commissioned the market on 15th February,2005 and named it Aguiyi Ironsi International market by the Lagos State Government.
The market was commissioned by the then Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Femi Pedro, who went to the market, unveiled the marbel and named it Aguiyi Ironsi International market.
The declaration by the Chairman, Mr Bamigboye has thrown the Council into confusion and many workers wondered how ordinary LG Chairman will over rule the Lagos State Government and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is the political leader of the ruling Party in Lagos State.
The Chairman, Bamigboye, recently announced that he created market board and set up a 5-man committee and ordered them to take over the market while he named the son of the late Developer, Ajibade Olajokun, as a member without involving the traders who used their money to develop the market.