Mile 12 market closure: Traders record N400m loss daily

Traders of the Mile 12 market in Lagos yesterday said they are recording lost of over N400 million daily, since the closure of the market by Lagos state Government last week. The traders under the auspices of Amalgamated Association of Foodstuff Traders, revealed this when they visited the Kano State House of Assembly. The traders […]

Traders of the Mile 12 market in Lagos yesterday said they are recording lost of over N400 million daily, since the closure of the market by Lagos state Government last week.
The traders under the auspices of Amalgamated Association of Foodstuff Traders, revealed this when they visited the Kano State House of Assembly.
The traders appealed to the House of Assembly to plead with Governor Akinwumi Ambode to reconsider his order on the temporary closure of the market.
Governor Ambode ordered the closure of the market on March 3, following a violent clash which according to police left 10 people dead and several houses and cars burnt.
Leader of the delegation, Ahmad Alaramma said the closure of the market led to losses of millions of naira on both the traders and consumers.
“We are appealing to this house on behalf of Mile 12 traders, to please come to our aid and plead with Governor Ambode to kindly reopen our market, as calm and peace have returned to the area.
 As you know, we deal in fresh perishable produce. We lose over N400 million daily since the market was closed and the effects of this on the traders cannot be quantified,” he said.
While condemning the clash, the traders distanced themselves from last week’s violence at the Agiliti and Maidan area of Ketu, Lagos, saying they were not involved in the fracas.
He said: “Mile 12 market was not part of the clash, in fact we were even going about out trading while the clash was going on, but the state government shutdown the market, as we speak now perishable foodstuffs are rotting away while waiting on the Lagos-Ibadan Express Way.”
Receiving the delegation, the Deputy Speaker, Alhaji Hamisu Ibrahim Chidari promised to communicate with the Lagos governor to find a lasting solution to the crisis. Hamisu Chidari condemned the unfortunate crisis which led to the loss of lives and properties worth millions of naira.
He also called on them to be law abiding citizens and live in peace with their host community.