By Abayomi Elias
The Executive Chairman of Ikorodu Local Government Honourable Wasiu Ayodeji Adesina has faulted the process Oba Kabiru Shotobi, the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, adopted in picking the new Iyaloja of Ikorodu Division ditto Iyaloja of Ayangburen market fondly called Sabo market.
Newsconnect reports that some market women had staged a peaceful protest sometimes last week to Ikorodu local government and its environs to stop the executive Chairman from imposing another Iyaloja (market leader) on them having unanimously picked Busola Isikalu and Mutiat Ojulari respectively as Iyaloja general and Iyaloja Sabo market.
In an interview with Chairman Ikorodu Lg and our correspondence, Adesina said he wasn’t trying to impose another market woman leader on the market women, he said Princess Osho Adebukola emerged Iyaloja Ikorodu Central because majority of market leaders picked her.
In his words, he said;
“It is not that we want to impose Iyaloja Ikorodu Central on them, as we all know, market generally is under the purview of local government, the constitution is very clear on that. It is not in the purview of any traditional ruler, it is under the local government.
“When Alhaja Taofeekat Allison, the former and late Iyaloja was alive, there was existing structure in the market. Each market within Ikorodu LG has Iyaloja. We have Iyaloja of Ebuoso, Iyaloja of Ajina, Iyaloja of Solafun, Iyaloja of Gberigbe, Iyaloja of Igbodu, Iyaloja of Igbo-Oluwo, Iyaloja of Ladega etc.
“After the demise of Iyaloja general, I invited them to a stakeholders meeting that they should go back, dialogue and select who will represent them. They have to bring the person to me. Invariably, I have to take the person to the king that the market men and women have decided to follow this person, that is the process.
“What I discovered is that somebody was picked without my knowledge, without the knowledge of market leaders that I have mentioned because those are their structures. I invited the leaders of these aforementioned markets and asked if they are the one that picked ‘so so so and so’, they said no. I said that can’t be possible. The process is that each market leader will have to sit down and pick somebody that will represent them. This is Ikorodu local government, other local governments have the Iyaloja of their local government. If you go to Igbogbo, there is Iyaloja Igbogbo. If you go to Ikorodu West, there is Iyaloja of Ikorodu West.
“It is this market women that picked Osho, they said this is the person they want. We have about 10 to 12 markets in Ikorodu. If 8 of them could decide that is what they want, definitely I don’t have to choose for them.
“As for Sabo Market, I don’t know how the Iyaloja of Sabo got there. I don’t even know the process. All know is that it was the king that picked her, which I know the process is wrong.
“In Sabo market, we have Beta life, commodity leaders, the hausa’s that are selling in Sabo. Their representatives will sit down and pick somebody that will be the Iyaloja of that market.
“Invariably, the king told me he wants to pick Iyaloja of Sabo market and he picked Mutiat Ojulari. I don’t even know her as Iyaloja in that market. Since it is the king that picked her, I don’t want to question that. I even told the people that raised eyebrow to leave it, that they should respect the king’s choice even though I know the process was wrong.
“Office for Iyaloja general, the king asked them to break the office and put Muti there. I don’t want to fight, I kept quiet. Breaking the local government office is wrong, the process of selecting is wrong.
“My stake is that the market has structure right from the state to the Federal. We have Iyaloja general who oversees all the market affairs”. He said.
In contrast to the above, the new Iyaloja general of Ikorodu Division Busola Isikalu in an interview with Newsconnect said;
“Anytime there is fight or dispute in the market, our first contact person has always been the king. Rarely we report market issues to the local government. The Ayangburen always intervene when we have disputes. The only time we report to the local government is when the issue is a government related matte.
“I went to the chairman to ask him the criteria he will adopt for the screening procedure of applicants for Iyaloja position. He told Kabiyesi to shortlist applicants to three. I asked why he didn’t conduct it by himself, he said Kabiyesi should do it.
“We did the first screening early in December 2023. Senator Ogunlewe was there, Oduborisa and for head of service Honourable Rotinwa and political leaders were there. Kabiyesi wasn’t part of the panel, he was represented by Iyalode Ikorodu. Baba Oloja Sabo, Alhaji Wasiu Jaiyesinmi was also there. The following day the Chairman said he was pained that non of his representative was there. However, he is glad his political leaders were present.
“The Chairman told me someone has been picked but he won’t mention it. The third day, I received a letter that I am the winner of the screening.
“At the first screening we were 8, one of us withdrew. Seven of us went into the screening exercise. At the second screening, we were 5 and I was picked from there.
“It is misconception that the late Iyaloja Alhaja Taofeekat Allison was sitting on many titles. The title was just Iyaloja of Ayangburen market and Iyaloja general of Ikorodu.
“According to the Federal structure, Ikorodu lg is the head of all the LCDA. It is market women that will select their choice of leaders, that is the standard practice.
“I want the Chairman and Kabiyesi to be on the same page, so the market structure can work”. Busola Isikalu asserted.