By Mike Adeyemi
Traders at the popular Bode – Sa’adu market in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State has decried government neglect.
The traders who claimed to remit huge sum as revenue to Moro Local Government, said the market lacks basic amenities.
The Babaloja of Bode – Sa’adu, Alhaji Abdulahi Iyanda stated this during a chat with our reporter on Friday, said, “the market has been neglected by the authority of Moro Local Government despite huge revenue remittance from the market.
“This market was founded over 100 years ago and since then it has become a commercial hub in the north central of this country, as traders come from across Nigeria to do business here.
“The challenges faced at the market are enormous. There is no toilet, no modern shops, no good road networks. The market lacks features of a modern day trading centre.
“We have been totally neglected by the authority of Moro Local Government and several complaints from us have fallen on deaf ears,” he lamented.
He accused the Local Government of incessant extortion of traders, adding that the market remits over N200,000 to the local government on each market day.
“We had several times approached the Director of Personnel (DPM) to lodge our complaints, but the best they did was to come and pack refuse from the market once.
Also speaking, the Iyaloja of Bode – Sa’adu market, Alhaja Awawu Magaji said business activities had just started picking up at the market, aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic lockdown that paralyzed economy of the area.
“During the lockdown, business activities were paralysed and most traders went bankrupt. Despite the lifting of ban on movement things are yet to be normal.
“Unfortunately, traders here were not captured for palliatives by the Kwara State Government during the period. What we received was mere nose masks,” she noted.
