Jude Chikere Nwankwo, the president of the Ladipo Auto Central Executive Committee (LACEC), has refuted claims that Adetokunbo Wahab, the commissioner for the environment for the state of Lagos, requested N40 million from the traders in order to restore the shuttered market.
He added that the traders did not make the claim of an N40 million bribe against Wahab, and the commissioner never demanded any money of such nature from the businessmen.
The state administration reportedly gave the go-ahead for the reopening of Ladipo, Oyingbo, and two other markets in the state earlier on Monday after their management teams improved the environmental and safety standards in the buildings, which had been closed owing to environmental concerns.
The Alamutu Plantain Market in Mushin and other markets have also closed.
The state government had later approved the reopening of the markets including Ladipo, but later backtracked on the reopening of the Ladipo Market.
However, Nwankwo in a press release on Thursday said that Ladipo traders were law-abiding citizens and would not indulge in such a malicious bribe accusation.
According to the president of the market, the commissioner was not happy with the traders over some tweets making the rounds that he demanded the sum of N40 million from the traders.
“I am the president of Ladpo Market, and I believe that I am the right channel to issue any statement pertaining to the market closure, therefore, such claim that the commissioner demanded N40 million from us is not true, we are law-abiding citizens and will never make such allegation against a serving commissioner of Lagos State.
“As the president of Ladipo Auto Market I am debunking that statement, as far as I am concerned the said allegation did not emanate from us.
“I am sure that the said allegation against the Commissioner for Environment did not emanate from Ladipo Market, but perhaps from mischief makers who want to cash in on the situation to tarnish our image before the government”.
He disclosed that the market is still closed and pleaded with the government of Lagos State to reopen the market. “As it is now the market is still under lock and key and, I am appealing to the commissioner to open the market as the traders who are bread winners to many families cannot access the market right now.”
