Plank Dealers Were Illegal Occupiers – Prince Balogun

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

Prince Idris Balogun has described the protest staged by some traders, who recently vacated the Oja Oba planks Market in Isheri Olofin in Lagos, after exhausting the period of grace granted by the legitimate developer, as unlawful and totally misleading to the public.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that Prince Balogun, also known as Oluomo, and Managing Director of White Royal Hotel, described the protest and press reports as attempts to legalise their illegality to draw public sympathy.

He explained that the Oja Oba Market, located very close to the royal seat of Isheri Olofin Kingdom in Egbe-Idimu Local Council Development Area, Alimosho, Lagos State, had been there for several years and occupied by the plank dealers without any major official authorisation.

Prince Balogun said that the Isheri Olofin people, through the Traditional Leadership, had always prayed and planned for a time modern standard market will be developed in the area since 2016.

Oluomo said that the prayers become reality when a developer, Inimitable Integrated Services, got authorisation from the community and the Lagos State authorities for its development.  Condemning the protest further, Prince Balogun stressed that it was shocking to find the traders, who evacuated their wares or property peacefully after exhausting the days offered them as ultimatum protesting and drawing unnecessary attention.

He pointed that given the grounds that they occupied the place unlawfully, they constituted nuisance by emitting quantum dust as pollution to embarrass the royal palace, making the environment an eyesore when it was supposed to be a beautiful scenery. That the traders were supposed to be happy that the Traditional Leadership and the royal family have taken appropriate steps to develop the market for the good for all.

 Prince Idris Balogun therefore, called for understanding and calm in the land, assuring that law abiding plank dealers are already entitled to a place provided for their business by the Isheri Olofin community.

 Wondering why the plank dealers leader raised the alarm after all the due process maintained  by the community, he asked, “Why would a people, who occupied a commercial ground for years without paying royalty to any legitimate community or government organ, summon the audacity to stage a misleading protest, even when they know they were merely usurping the land?””Why should they shed crocodile tears after years of illicit occupation and exploitation of the local family or community? Why should they make efforts to truncate the development strides of the Isheri Olofin people derived by exploring authorised channels that has now provided the relevant office or government documents and endorsement?” 

He urged the public to disregard the actions of the traders and their cohorts, which was targeted at sabotaging the process towards actualising the age long development agenda of the great people of Isheri Olofin land, who are yearning for more modern structure and infrastructure in a world that continues to evolve.

On behalf of the Isheri Olofin people, he tendered the relevant authorisations that warranted developers legitimate developmental action; affirming that the developer nor the community applied force or unlawfulness in the process.