The Kwara state House of Assembly has suspended immediately the planned installation of market leaders in the popular Owode Central market, Offa in the Offa local government area of Kwara State.
The suspension was due to leadership crisis that had rocked the ancient market in the past few weeks over who becomes new Iyaloja and Babaloja of the market. While some of the traders in the market has attributed the crisis to the meddlesome activities of traditional and religious institutions in the town in their attempt to impose their preferred candidate.
Speaking when some traders in the market led a peaceful protest to the state House of Assembly, Ilorin on Wednesday, the Deputy Speaker of the Kwara House of Assembly, Hon. Raphael Adetiba-Olanrewaju, said that planned installation of market leaders, already scheduled for second day of (Eid el Kabir) Ileya festival on Monday should be suspended until the matter was amicably resolved between aggrieved parties.
The Deputy Speaker, who promised to look into the issue with a view to find appropriate and peaceful resolution to it, said that the House would take necessary steps to get other side of the story.
He said that the House would not be distracted towards serving its constituents as a people’s parliament, assuring the people that its intervention would achieve desired peace in the market.
While he urged the traders to maintain peace and harmony that the state is known for, he advised them to encourage dialogue among themselves in order to achieve cordial relationship and lasting peace.
The Deputy Speaker also told the people to be confident of amicable resolution of the matter, saying that, “you’ve handed your matter to those that will ensure peace”.
The traders had carried placards with such inscriptions as: allow us to elect our leaders, we don’t want imposition. Rasheedat Salawudeen is our Iyaloja. We don’t want cheating. Save us from endorsement. We want democracy, among others.
The traders, who also took their protest to the Government House, Ilorin, lamented that sales had nosedived in the market since the leadership crisis started, calling on the state government for necessary steps to ensure peace.
