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

13^th 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 28^th 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