Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, on Thursday visited Ladipo Market with his Lagos State counterpart, Babatunde Fashola, calling on traders at the market, who were mostly Igbos, to urgently clean the market so that tradings could resume.
Ladipo Market in Mushin Local Government was shut last week by Lagos State Government over enviromental degredation and filth.
Okorocha said he was at the market to see the situation for himself because he had been very concerned about what went wrong when he heard that the traders were losing revenue.
He said, “After listening to the Governor of Lagos and knowing who he is and what he represents, I am very certain he means well for the people.
“So, I came in here to see for myself and everything is quite explicit that there is need to keep the place clean.
“We, the Ibos are known for cleanliness. Those of us in this market should not be an exception to that.
“I see that there is a need to clean the gutter and clean this place. There is a relationship between you and him (Fashola) and he is saying make your place better for your own good.”
Okorocha appealed to the traders to be united and cooperate with the government to ensure an improved Ladipo Market that would be provided with electricity, good road network, water and all that the people might desire.
Fashola assured the traders that the market would be opened once the identified problems were solved through a joint effort between the government and the traders.
He said, “This is a joint effort now. You and your government are working together to solve a problem that we commonly identify and once that is done, I think business should open.”
According to the governor, part of the work to be done by the traders will include ensuring that they do not hamper the daily activities of other law abiding stakeholders in the area.
Fashola said, “The property owners here who are your landlords and your neighbours must also be able to come to their homes and go about their business while you are doing your own businesses.
“The factories here must be able to operate and keep our young people at work. This is the way that all of you will generate the revenue that I need to fix this road.”
The governor reiterated that the quicker the cleaning up work going on in the market was concluded, the quicker the business would open in the market again.
He commended Okorocha for the sense of leadership that he had shown by coming to the market .
The governors were received at the market by the Commissioner for the Environment, Mr Tunji Bello, and senior officials of his ministry amid cheers from the expectant traders.