Ladipo Market Executives Sacked, Mushin LG Appoints Caretaker Committee

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

The crisis in the Aguiyi Ironsi International Market, Ladipo Market, Mushin area of Lagos, may gradually be coming down following the sacking of the Executives led by Mr. Emmanuel Mbamara, a.k.a PDP, and the appointment of the the Caretaker Committee by the authorities of Mushin Local Government.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the Executive Chairman of the Mushin LGA, Hon. Bamigboye Emmanuel Olarenwaju, on Tuesday appointed a Caretaker Committee headed by Mr. Sunday Olowo, with the mandate to conduct election within a time frame in order to restore peace in the market.

Other members of the 11-man Committee included, Ajibade Olajoku, Dan Ebe, Monday Lawrence, Azuka Obi, Alhaja Fausat Olajoku and others. 

They were to take charge of the market affairs pending the time the market will conduct election.
There had been tension in the market following the petition to the Police at Zone 2 Onikan, Lagos, over the alleged financial scam to the tune of N120m against the Chairman, Mr. Mbamara.

The former Financial Secretary, Nkemakona Ozoemena and other Executives, alleged that the former Chairman, Mbamara, siphoned the money and did not remit to the Union’s account.
Mbamara reportedly admitted that he used part of the money to fix roads in the market and kept some part inside the Union’s safe, which seemed to be a mirage because the Police have not retrieved any money from the save as P.M.EXPRESS gathered.

While Mbamara was still undergoing investigation, P.M.EXPRESS gathered that he secretly went to Court to obtain an order in order to extend his tenure, which expired on 14th August, 2020, citing the Covid-19 lockdown.
When the traders got the information, the market was almost drifting into violence which prompted the security agencies to prepare intelligence reports of the likely violence in the market if Mbamara was allowed to extend his tenure for even one day.

Thus, the authorities of the Mushin LGA summoned a stakeholders meeting and it was agreed that the Caretaker Committee will be constituted to be supervised by the Local Government.

However, Mbamara later went ahead to mobilize the traders to resist the Caretaker Committee so that he will continue by organize protest and press conference in the market but the whole thing eventually collapsed as majority of the traders were not in support.

Some of the traders, who spoke to P.M.EXPRESS, expressed their satisfaction over the Caretaker Committee. They advised the Committee should not over stay and so they should commence the transition process to conduct a free and fair election in the market.