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By Dickson Okafor
Jubilation and a sense of relief enveloped businessmen and women operating at the International Centre for Commerce (ICC), Trade Fair Complex, Lagos, recently, when commissioned fire-fighting and waste disposal trucks donated to the market by Chief Oscar Odogwu, President of Balogun Business Association (BBA).
The colourful ceremony was witnessed by dignitaries, including Chief Okey Ezibe, one of the founding fathers of BBA and the Chairman Board of Trustees, members of the Builders and Elders Forums as well as major stakeholders and BBA executives.
The event offered the leadership of BBA platform to account for its stewardship since inception, while also gathering feedback from members on its activities over the past three years. The ICC is one of the largest markets in West Africa, and serves as a major distribution hub for various goods across Nigeria and West Africa.
In his welcome address, President of Balogun Business Association (BBA)/International Centre of Commerce, Trade Fair Complex, Lagos, Chief Oscar Odogwu, presented his scorecard and thanked the Board of Trustees, the founding fathers, Builders/Elders Forums and members of the executive for their unflinching support in the management and administration of the market. He said that the donation of fire fighting and waste disposal trucks become imperative to prevent future fire outbreaks while providing suitable equipment to stop the fire from causing havoc in the market.
He traced the history of incidents of fire outbreaks, recalling how traders and stakeholders lost goods worth billions of naira to fire disaster, he said the decision was made to strengthen fire safety standards and engage the stakeholders in a constructive manner.
He explained the challenges faced by the taskforce overseeing waste disposal management, which he said warranted the purchase of waste disposal trucks, to serve the market better.
Odogwu attributed the numerous achievements under his leadership to the cooperation of the founding fathers and members of the executive. He called on members to continue their support towards sustaining the legacy of the founding fathers. He declared that very soon the design of a 3-storey building car park will be unveiled.
He called for greater cooperation among the executives and promised that he would not disappoint the association as he is prepared to sustain the legacy the founding fathers left behind which he said had helped the leadership to make remarkable achievements since they assumed office.
He gave assurance that the ongoing reconstruction work in the market would be sustained with the commencement of reconstruction of Abia Plaza Main Gate in order to maintain BBA as an international market. He disabused the mind of those speculating that he donated the trucks as a campaign strategy to get re-elected stressing that it was his humanitarian gesture to help protect lives and property in the market. “In spite of politicking, we are all one because this is the information age and BBA won’t be left behind hence it is my humanitarian gesture to help protect lives and property in the market,” he said.
Odogwu used the opportunity to give an update on the decision of the founding fathers, the Builders/Elders Forum and stakeholders to repair the five kilometer road in Lagos International Trade Fair Complex which links the BBA and other markets in the complex hence they cannot continue to wait for Federal Government, noting that the Trade Fair Complex is one of the biggest markets in Africa, hence they decided to reconstruct the road through self-effort to prevent incidents of containers falling because of bad condition of the road, saying, “We have had incidents of containers falling on the road and we cannot allow this to continue, hence I urge members to contribute towards the reconstruction of the 5 kilometer road.”
In his remarks, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Chief Okey Ezibe, while concurring with Chief Odogwu gave account of incidents of fire outbreaks in the market that led to loss of goods worth billions of naira, commended Chief Odogwu for the donation of fire-fighting and waste disposal trucks, noting that they are of paramount importance not only to the traders, but to the Lagos State and Federal Fire Services.
He recalled that during one fire incident, the Commandant of Federal Fire Service, Chief Superintendent Joseph Olusodo and his men suffered high degree injuries while trying to put out a fire incident.
Also speaking, Chief Ezibe praised Odogwu and the executive for the purchase of the trucks to be used to battle cases of fire outbreaks in the market. He also commended stakeholders, Builders and Elders Forums for sustaining his legacy and the standard of the market while encouraging members and traders to continue in their support of the leadership, but warned members not to be clogs in the wheel of progress.
He revealed how President Bola Ahmed Tinubu supported them in the acquisition of lands and construction of the market when he was governor of Lagos State, noting that BBA is still enjoying President Bola Tinubu’s support and that of the Federal Government till date.
He said in appreciation of what he described as President Tinubu’s good gesture to Ndigbo in Lagos, Chief Ezibe gave assurance that traders and Ndigbo in Lagos would support the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for second term because of his performance through the Renewed Hope Agenda policies. He also declared that traders and stakeholders had resolved to re-elect Chief Oscar Odogwu as President of BBA/ICC.
He said: “At the inception of the market, demand was made to entrench democracy in BBA for all to be equally treated. We did not apply autocracy, but democracy in the running of BBA.”
However, he reminded the people of the vision of the founding fathers of BBA which is to carry everybody along to ensure that both rich and poor traders co-exist through level playing ground, but warned that BBA does not and should not encourage or support illicit businesses in the complex.
President, Auto Spare Parts Motor Dealer Association (ASPMDA), Chief Ngozi Emechebe, commended Chief Oscar Odogwu and the executive members of BBA for sustaining the standard and legacy of the BBA founding fathers through hard work and dedication.
He expressed joy that Chief Odogwu has rolled out new innovation as President of BBA, citing the commissioning of the trucks as a replication of what the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah did in ASPMDA.
He narrated how he cried to Sen. Ubah for the provision of a fire-fighting truck which he donated to them. He opined that Odogwu attained remarkable success through the cooperation of the founding fathers, executives and the support of BBA members.
“My brother, I commend you for carrying everybody along which is the reason we gathered here today to celebrate your humanitarian gesture to BBA,” Emechebe said.
In his brief remarks while accepting the fire-fighting truck, Superintendent Olusodo thanked the founding fathers, members of the Board of Trustees, Chief Oscar Odogwu, the Builders and Elders Forums and the members of the executive of BBA for their kind gesture by strengthening safety standards in the markets.
Recalling he and his men sustained various degrees of injuries while trying to put off fire in the market, he described the donation of the trucks as a worthy gesture by Odogwu and prayed that God would reward him excellently.
Highlight of the event was the commissioning of the trucks by Chief Okey Ezibe in conjunction with Chief Oscar Odogwu and handing over the keys to the Commandant of Federal Fire Service, Superintendent Joseph Olusodo for full operation of the trucks.
