Authorities at the Mushin Local Government area of Lagos State has announced a change of the name of the popular Ladipo Auto Spare Parts Market also known as Aguiyi Ironsi International Auto Spare Parts Market. The market is adjudged as the biggest automobile market in Africa.
Council Chairman, Emmanuel Bamigboye on Thursday announced that the market shall be henceforth known and addressed as Paramo Market. He added that, at no time was the market name changed to Aguiyi Ironsi market
Recall that, earlier in the week, Bamigboye inaugurated a 5-man board for the Market, which included Barr. Femi Martins as Chairman, Tope Olowoyeye as Secretary while members include Babatunde Ige, Ajibade Olajoku and Emmanuel Dike.
Explaining the reason behind the name reversal, the LG chairman said: “The name of our Market at Ladipo remains Paramo International Spare Parts Market, and not Aguiyi Ironsi Market.
“The market was constructed by Late Alhaji Hassan Olajoku with the name of his company, Paramo Development Ventures Ltd and we have to honour him.” The chairman declared during a chat with members of the newly inaugurated market board.
Reactions have however been trailing the Chairman’s decision to reverse the name of the market and the sudden constitution of a board for a market dominated by traders of Igbo extraction.
Some of the traders who spoke to The West Newspaper on conditions of anonymity argue that, the constitution of the board was to tame the growing influence of the Igbos in the Local Government, hence has a political and ethnic undertones.
An obviously unhappy tyre trader at the market said: “Is it not laughable that, of all the markets in Mushin, only the ones where you have the Igbos in majority, is the one he is constituting a board for? The reason is simple. It is because we have told them repeatedly that we are not going to tolerate the idea of forcing one unelected iyaloja on us as our leader. Ask the chairman if there’s a board for Ojuwoye market and others”
Another trader, a Yoruba man who trades in auto accessories, believes the move was more political than administrative.
He said: “We know that a particular family in Lagos owns all the market in the state and that is why the title of Iyaloja has been their family’s exclusive property. So any market they’re unable to put in their pocket, they devise other means to have control. Ladipo Spare Parts Market is just one of them, but in any way, it does not affect our sales. Iyen lo ju [that is more important]” he laughs.
“Whoever is not happy with the decision or the name, should relocate to their village and name their market by whatever name they want” said another trader, adding “We are happy the chairman is paying attention to us. Those complaining really do not mean well for us. I really don’t know how the renaming of the market or inauguration of a board affect anyone in the market. We support the chairman and so we will stay with the new name” she said.
