Urban renewal: Ladoja accuses Ajimobi of insensitivity

*Says Governor was unfair over demolition of shops, stalls

By  OLA AJAYI

IBADAN—FORMER Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rasheed Ladoja, has accused Governor Abiola Ajimobi of insensitivity with  his urban renewal programme.

He said that Ajimobi was being unfair by first demolishing shops and stalls belonging to traders before thinking of building alternative markets for them.

Ladoja, spoke, weekend, at an empowerment programme organised by a member of the state House of Assembly, elected on platform of Accord Party, AP, Mr. Niyi Adeoye, at Agugu area of Ibadan.

To Ladoja, for any beautification exercise to have any meaning, it must have a human face.

According to the leader of Accord Party in the state, it was tantamount to putting the cart before the horse by chasing people away from their means of livelihood.

He said the government should have adopted what late Chief Bola Ige did, when he first provided alternatives at New Gbagi and Alesinloye markets.

He said: “It is a fact that most of these traders that have been displaced are using the proceeds they made to train their children, and for any government to remove them before thinking of where to move them to is an act of wickedness to these poor traders.
“I believe it is only reasonable that the government should have provided alternatives before driving them from their shops.”