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By Obidike Jerry
Traders in Trade Fair Complex, on Badagary Expressway, yesterday, protested plans by Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE) to re-concession the complex to another concessionaire.
The traders, who organised the protest under an umbrella body, Trader Fair Stakeholders’ Forum, said the outcome of the meeting they had with FEEDBACK Infrastructure services, representative of BPE, made them to organise the protest to remind BPE that they have a-50-year-lease agreement, subject to renewal for another 49 years, with Trade Fair Management Board.
Speaking on behalf of the traders, Chairman of the forum, Daniel Oforkansi, said they invested over N70 billion to make the place an international centre of commerce, and wondered why a government that is moving round the world to woo investors should treat local investors with ignominy and levity.
He said: “We are here this morning to tell the world what we are passing through. You cannot compare this place with Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), National Stadium, National Theatre or Ajeokuta Steel Complex because the Federal Government did not invest any kobo here. This place was given to us through a lease, and we invested our hard-earned money to turn it around. “And, today, Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment has concluded plans to give out the place to another concessionaire without recourse to us. Are we no longer Nigerians? Are we slaves in this country? How do you explain this to the entire world? We are telling the federal government to look elsewhere to concession and leave us alone. As you can see, we are law-abiding people. You can see the level of investment we’ve put into this place.”
Oforkansi, who is also the president of Auto Spare Parts Machinery Dealers Association (ASPAMDA), said the place was abandoned by the federal government, making it haven for reptiles and other wild animals before they moved in about 20 years ago and developed almost the entire place without assistance from anybody.
“Our portion of the trade fair constitutes about 70 percent of the place. If government wants to concession the remaining 25 percent, we don’t have problem with that. They should concentrate on the remaining 25 percent and give it to whomsoever they want. “The federal government, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari should come to our rescue and direct BPE to do the right thing.
“We insist that our lease is subsisting and they should let us be. How can you build a place with your resources and at the end of the day, you are forced to become a tenant in your place? We have about 180,000 traders in this place and if government should go ahead with this plan that will mean enormous challenges to our weak economy.
“You see government is about to make the same mistake they made when they ignorantly concessioned this place some years back to Aulic Nigeria Limited when we drew their attention to that error, government quickly retraced its steps.
