Kunle Adelabu
The Lagos Emergency Food Market in Ikorodu will be operational on Friday (tomorrow), a senior State government official has reliably informed THE IMPACT.
The official, who is a soft-spoken and respectful woman, spoke with our reporter on phone late on Wednesday.
She pleaded for the understanding of residents of Ikorodu, especially those that trooped to the venue (Technical College, Oke Ota- Ona, Ikorodu) in the early hours of Wednesday (yesterday) to make purchase of food items but were left disappointed as the market could not take off as earlier scheduled.
Our reporter was at the venue and met scores of residents stranded out the venue. Some of them lamented over the failure of the government to kick-start the market as planned, stating that they had pinned their hope on getting food items and other household materials for their families from the market since they could not other markets have been closed due to the lockdown.
The state government official, while speaking with our reporter, stated that it was announced at the opening of the emergency market on Sunday, March 29, 2020, that the next market day would be Wednesday but that could not be achieved due to the lockdown announced by the federal government in Lagos State and some other states.
“We have sent apologies through the aide of the Majority Leader of Lagos State to those that came to the venue today. We are truly sorry for any inconvenience”, the official stated apologetically.
“We actually told those present on the first day of the market that the next market would hold on Wednesday (yesterday) tentatively, but we were unable to due to the fact that government announced lockdown in Lagos which commenced on Tuesday.
“It was difficult to get farmers and others bringing farm produce to the venue due to the lockdown.
She assured residents of Ikorodu that farm produce and items would be available for them to buy at the market on Friday.
“I did sent message through the aide of the Majority Leader (Hon. Azeez Jimoh Olosugbo) that he should help us tell those at the venue today (Wednesday) that the market will open on Friday”, she assured.
“We are looking for more farmers and others with farm produce to bring them to the venue on Friday”.
Another reliable source also informed THE IMPACT that many traders at the Mile 12 Commodities market with farm produce would also be coming down to the venue on Friday to sell their produce.
The source also stated that local farmers interested in bringing their farm produce for sale at the market are also welcome.
