LAGOS MAY 26TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Traders at Alaba International market today (Thursday} shut down their businesses and paralyzed activities of new generation bank located in the market in protest over an encroachment of land belonging to one of their member.
The traders in a peaceful protest closed their shops and paralyzed the activities of the bank for some hours, chanting solidarity song in support of their member’s whose land was allegedly encroached upon by the bank in the market.
Urhobotoday Lagos correspondent who visited the market saw the traders displaying placards with different inscription like: ‘Respect the leadership of the market’, ‘Stop encroaching on another man’s property in Alaba Market’, and ‘Please stop causing confusion, among others.
The Chairman of Alaba International Amalgamated Traders Association, Mr. Paul Chijioke, said, “Sometime last year one of our members in the market reported the encroachment of his land by the bank. When the matter was reported to the executives of the market they waded into the matter immediately and contacted the bank management after much deliberation, they accepted encroaching the land. We held a meeting with the management of the bank, after the first meeting they called us for another one where the issue of settlement for owner of the land was reached by the management.”
Chijioke added that, since they made the promise to settle out-of-court and compensate the owner, nothing has been done, to avoid clash with the bank, adding that they reported the matter to Area ‘E’ police command at FESTAC.
“As law abiding citizens, we don’t want to take laws into our hands that is why we are calling on the management to respect the agreement we had with them. We also learnt that one of the senior managers of the bank demanded for 20million from the owner of the land before they could give him the compensation,” he said.
Chairman of the Electronics section of the market, Mr. Nnadozie Daniel said, “we invited the management of the bank to our office last year June to settle amicably but they are frustrating our efforts. During our meeting with the bank management they accepted they encroached on the land, they were the one who promised to settle the owner but to our surprise they are not living to their promises.
“After the meeting they even told us that before they pay any compensation they have to value the land which we all agreed to. The owner of the land have told the management of the bank to release the land to him so as to lease it out they refused. Their action have heighten tension in the market and we do not want bloodletting in the market that was why we are shouting to the public to know what we are going through in the of the bank at Alaba market.”