Traders in the popular Gatan Kowa secondhand clothes market in Agbado Oke-Odo in Lagos on Wednesday appealed to the state Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to tackle persistent flooding of the market.
The traders, who made the appeal in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, said that flooding was negatively affecting the market activities, resulting in losses.
Prince Adedoyin Adebambo, the Leader at the LEOREM section of the market referred to many as Katangowa, told NAN that business activities were always slow during rainy season as customers stayed away owing to flooding.
Adebambo said that shops were flooded during rainy season, damaging wares, causing losses and threatening lives.
‘’During the rainy season, we find it difficult to do normal businesses as a result of flooding.
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”Customers stay away from the market and our daily sales are affected generally,’’ he said.
The trader blamed the flooding on poor drainage system.
He said that drains in the market were shallow, calling on Sanwo-Olu to make the drainage system better to end the flooding.
The trader also urged the governor to hasten reconstruction of the Abule-Egba-Oshodi Expressway, claiming that flood from the project site flowed into the market.
Another trader, Mr Isaac Okafor, said that he had lost over N500, 000 worth of goods in the last seven months to flooding in the market .
‘’We beg the state government to assist us to construct a drainage system that will contain overflow during any downpour,’’ he told NAN.
Mrs Elizabeth Duru, who sells secondhand ladies’ wears, said she often stayed away from the market during rainy season to guard against losses.
Duru appealed to the governor to come to the aid of the traders.
A retailer of secondhand bags, Mrs Yetunde Omotosho, appealed to the state government to provide stable electricity in the market.
Omotosho said that the market had been facing power outage since 2015 when reconstruction started on the Abule-Egba-Oshodi corridor.
‘’Total power outage is another challenge facing us, traders, in this market.
‘’There are lots of businesses here which depend on electricity.
”We want the government to come to our aid by tackling this challenge to save businesses and livelihoods,” she said. (NAN)
