Yam traders at Mile 12
Market in Lagos on Saturday appealed to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to reopen the market in order to save their businesses from ruin.
Some of the yam traders told newsmen in separate interviews that their investments in the business was at the verge of total ruin.
They said that since the governor announced the closure of the market on March 4, their goods in the market were all going bad.
The Tide source recalls that Ambode ordered the closure of the market following the violence that erupted in the market on March 3 and March 4.
Our correspondent also recalls that the violence claimed lives of many and destroyed property.
Mrs Adunni Taiwo, regretted investing huge amount of money to buy yams all the way from the North and brought to the state only to experience market closure.
“Had I know, I would have just gone to buy yams from Abuja at this time.
“The money I am using to trade was borrowed with interest on it and the interest is running.
“I want to beg our responsible governor to help us and consider the losses we had incurred since. We regret what has happened,’’ she said.
Taiwo said that a truck of yams had been stationary at Ibafo Area, Ogun State since without a place to off load or sell them.
According to her, many of the yams had spoilt in the vehicle because of heat.
Another yam seller, who simply identified herself as Mama Tobi, said that she had run into great loss as many of her yams were wasted.
According to her, many of our yams are already spoilt in the vehicle because we cannot come into the market where these yams could be off loaded.
She said the trucks conveying their yams were packed under a tree along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
“We have engaged the service of some local security agents to help us watch over the vehicles.
According to her, nothing less than 15 trucks of yam are about to be wasted, as these vehicles are parked outside due to the closure of the market.
Another yam seller, who simple called herself, Iya Deyemi said, only God can make us recover from these losses.
“We see what we use our precious money to buy going bad before our eyes. We want the governor to reopen the market and punish the culprits.
Baba Ayo, another yam seller, said that rather than crippling the economic activities for many days, the government should tackle whatever that led to the violence and punish the perpetrators.
He called on the Lagos State Government to move the market away from where it is, if that is government’s intention and that it should do that so fast, “before we lose all our sources of income.
“We cannot continue like this any further, let the government move the market to wherever will be more suitable for them”.
Baba Ayo urged the government to consider the pains and losses many traders of perishable items had incurred since the decision to close the market was taken.