Tuesday 12 November 2013
centre for Rights and Grassroots Initiatives: URGENT PETITION OF THREAT TO PUBLIC PEACE, INFRING...
centre for Rights and Grassroots Initiatives: URGENT PETITION OF THREAT TO PUBLIC PEACE, INFRING...: CENTRE FOR RIGHTS AND GRASSROOTS INITIATIVE (CRGI) 1a, Fadeyi Street, I...
URGENT PETITION OF THREAT TO PUBLIC PEACE, INFRINGEMENT OF FUNDAMENTAL AND ECONOMIC RIGHTS OF CONCERNED TRADERS AGAINST ALHAJI RAHEEM OJOLOWO LEADERSHIP OF OWODE INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SPARE PARTS DEALERS ASSOCIATION MARKET OF LAGOS STATE
CENTRE
FOR RIGHTS AND GRASSROOTS INITIATIVE (CRGI)
1a, Fadeyi Street, Ikeja, Lagos.
Email: centreforrightsgi@gmail.com
Telephone: 08078012999, 07033853232
13th
November, 2013.
Mr.
Umar Manko,
The
Commissioner of Police,
Nigeria
Police Force,
Lagos
State Command,
State
Headquarters,
Ikeja, Lagos.
Dear
Sir,
PUBLIC PETITION
URGENT PETITION OF
THREAT TO PUBLIC PEACE, INFRINGEMENT OF FUNDAMENTAL AND ECONOMIC RIGHTS OF
CONCERNED TRADERS AGAINST ALHAJI RAHEEM OJOLOWO LEADERSHIP OF OWODE
INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SPARE PARTS DEALERS ASSOCIATION MARKET OF LAGOS STATE
 |
| Owode International Motor Spare Parts Market |
With humility, I have the authority of the
governing board of Centre for Rights and Grassroots Initiative (CRGI) which is
a foremost civil society organization at the vanguard for the enthronement of
rule of law, peaceful and orderly society to urgently petition your office on
the threat to public peace and infringement on the fundamental and economic
rights of Concerned traders at Owode International Motor Spare Parts Dealers
Association market in Lagos State by the Alhaji Raheem Ojolowo led leadership
of the association.
We at (CRGI) as a patriotic and responsive
organization desirous that all hands must be on deck towards sustaining the
relative peace in Lagos State have decided to bring this matter to your notice
for urgent attention in order to arrest the seeming threat to public peace and
infringement of the fundamental and economic rights of Nigerians by the
arbitrary, irresponsible and illegal acts of Alhaji Raheem Ojolowo led
leadership.
Historically, Owode International Spare Parts
Dealer Association has been in existence for over three (3) decades with no
record of rancor and skirmishes between the traders who have always conducted
their business within the ambit of the law.
Historically also, ownership of shops in Owode
International Spare Parts Dealer Association market follows a laid down
procedure whereby shop owners are allotted space by the market association
leadership to personally construct their shops and thereafter pay all necessary
taxes and levies to the market association as well as appropriate
constitutional authorities.
Unfortunately, due to the ongoing road
construction works on the Ikorodu road axis, some parts of the Owode
International Spare Parts Dealer Association market were affected and had to
give way. The affected traders who have legitimate papers in terms of Market
Association trading permit, council permit, shop receipt, etc complained about
their predicament to the market leadership of Alhaji Raheem Ojolowo for succor.
Thereafter, these concerned traders partially
affected by the road exercise numbering over forty (40) were cajoled by the
Alhaji Raheem Ojolowo leadership to cough out six thousand naira (N6,000) each
for reallocation and construction of fence for the new space to be provided by
the market association leadership which has not materialized till date.
Surprisingly however, on the 28th of
October 2013, the concerned traders arrived at the market in the morning for
economic activities only to discover that some building materials such as
Cement, gravel, sand, block etc had been deposited at their store spaces that
were partially lost to road construction. Without suspecting any foul play,
they thought that the materials were meant for the construction of the market
fence of which all shop owners had paid the mandatory one thousand naira
(N1,000) levy each.
However, investigation later revealed that the
building materials were not for fence construction as earlier construed but
that Alhaji Raheem Ojolowo led leadership of the market association had sold
their partially left over shop spaces against the laid down rules of shop
ownership to a developer whom they were now informed would be their landlord
based on his economic terms and conditions. The traders realizing that their
economic existence was under threat, thereafter peacefully mobilized themselves
to seek dialogue to resolve this matter with Alhaji Raheem Ojolowo led
leadership who turned them down and told them to go and look for money to
acquire the shops in the about to be built shopping complex.
The Concerned traders realizing that their
fundamental and economic right was being infringed upon since this new
arbitrary and illegal act of Alhaji Raheem Ojolowo led leadership runs contrary
to the existing time immemorial policy of shop ownership in Owode International
Spare Parts Dealer Association market policy in which shops were built by
occupiers having fulfilled all necessary conditions, then mobilized themselves
with the support of other youths and elders in the market to embark on a
peaceful protest to Agboyi Ketu LCDA having got wind of information from the
rumour mill that the Local Council authority were co-conspirator with Alhaji
Raheem Ojolowo led leadership to undermine the peace and tranquility of the
market in particular and Lagos State in general.
The traders were addressed by the council
chairman who urged the Concerned traders, youths and elders to maintain the
existing peace and he urged the market leadership to go and resolve the brewing
crisis internally to prevent it from snowballing. However till date, the
traders are living in constant fear of losing their economic means of
livelihood because the building materials of the so called developer are still
on ground and information is rife that the developer and Alhaji Raheem Ojolowo
led market association leadership are going to use violence to get their way.
Sir, as a patriotic civil society organization,
we will be failing in our constitutional responsibility if we do not draw your
attention to this matter for urgent action because we have it on good authority
that tension is rife in the market because of this illegal, unpopular and
irresponsive action of Alhaji Raheem Ojolowo led leadership of the market.
We are hereby using this medium to implore you
to use your constitutional office to arrest this peace threatening action for
the sake of justice and the good of the society.
We are equally imploring you to investigate and
stop the alledged illegal sale of Owode International Spare Parts Dealer
Association land by Alhaji Raheem Ojolowo led leadership and commence
appropriate prosecution.
We are also calling on you to use your good office
to investigate Alhaji Raheem Ojolowo led leadership of Owode International
Spare Parts Dealer Association and bring him before the law to account for
monies collected from traders for projects not executed which in law amounts to
obtaining money under false pretence (OBT).
We look forward to your prompt response to our
petition.
CC:
1. Alhaji M. D. Abubakar,
Inspector General of Police
Nigeria Police Headquarters,
Louis Edet House,
Abuja
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