Ogun urges traders to occupy new shops or face sanctions

The Ogun State Government has given a 72-hour notice beginning from the 4th of December this year to all allotees of the newly completed government ultra modern shopping malls and shops located in the state capital to move in and start business or risk revocation and reallocation to other interested traders.

The State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun had in March this year, commissioned and allocated 1,050 shopping malls, shops and stalls to traders whose shops gave way for the construction of roads in Omida, Sapon, kemta, Itoku and Isele -Igbehin.

The Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Facility Management, Mr. Segun Adebayo, who handed down the warning in a statement by the Head of Media in the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Mr.Ayokunle Ewuoso said the government could no longer tolerate lack of commitment on the part of the affected traders.

Adebayo stated that government in its magnanimity, had given all allotees six months moratorium to move into their different shops for free; and within that period pay their initial deposit.

“So, if you are giving such opportunity since March or April; and you didn’t take it, just for you to take allocation and lock up these shops, it means you are denying others that opportunity to use them.

“It simply means that you are not interested in the allocation.” Adebayo remarked.

He said,“In the light of this government is issuing a 72-hr ultimatum starting from Monday 4th of December, ends on Wednesday 6th of December to the affected traders to open their shops and start business or risk revocation.”

He stated that about 40 to 30 per cent of the allocated shops have not been occupied adding that many members of the public have continue to show interest and government could not afford to fold it arms and watch its money go down the drain.

He said,”Government has tried it best by reaching out to everybody that is interested in getting a shop that will be there’s forever and the concept behind it is to build, pay and it becomes your own. What government has done is to expose the public into being a part of the process. “.

“In terms of the lock up shops, in Omida we have, as I speak, 52 shops already allocated; and 27 out of these shops are under lock, while six out of 36 allocated in Imo are equally under lock.

The story is not different in Laderin where only 12 out of the 48 shops had been occupied. Kemta -Oloko has just four shops occupied out of the 48 shops allocated.”

“In the case of Shops in the malls, Itoku has just 82 occupiers out of the 130 allocated while Sapon has 45 occupiers out of the 91 allocations with Isele -Igbehin having 37 occupied shops from the 64 already allocated to traders.” He said.