Governor Seyi Makinde, Tuesday morning, ordered the reopening of the Shasha market. The decision was taken, for peace and harmony to return between the Yoruba and Hausa communities in Shasha.

Governor Makinde gave the directive for the reopening of the market during a peace meeting held with the leaders of the Hausa and Yoruba communities of Shasha at the House of Chiefs, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, on Tuesday.

While addressing the Hausa-Fulani, the governor stated that due to the economic situation and the peculiarities associated with the state, he would reopen the market for the traders to continue with their commercial activities.

“When my brother Governors visited Seriki Sasa palace, while we were working around, I realised that both the people I saw at Seriki’s place and those I net at Baale’s place were not happy because they have been deprived of doing their job.”

“If you look at Oyo State, even when the COVID-19 was at its peak, I decided not to shut our market places because I know and also explained to the leadership of the country at the national level that in our state, we have people that the proceeds from what they get today will determine if they will eat tomorrow or not.”

“Since peace more or less returned to the market and the community, we have given the go-ahead that the market should be repealed.” “I have also given instructions for some palliative works to be done. I have instructed that solar light be installed in the market any time of the day or night, we will see what is going on in the market.”

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“The situation in our environment, economic activities are really very germane and basic. We have people out there, what they will make today, is what will determine whether they will eat tomorrow or not. And when you shut the place down, and people get hungry and again angry, then you precipitate another set of issues. So closing the market for an extended period of time, is actually not sustainable.”

While ordering that the market annexe of Shasha established in Iroko during the crises to be shut, the governor equally instructed relevant agencies to immediately restructure the market and fix up solar light around the community to enhance activities around the market, adding that government would consider some of the affected traders for palliatives. “The Iroko market will remain shut. From what we heard, the promoters of that market were actually part of the people causing confusion and causing a problem at the Shasha market. We will take a long-term view of the Iroko market, but in the meantime, it remains shut.

“You can see the CP and the DIG, they are the ones maintaining the curfew. And if they tell me peace has returned to the community, the curfew will also be lifted. But security agencies will still dominate the area.” Speaking on the existing curfew placed on the market, the governor explained that.

The Deputy Inspector- General Police, (in charge of South-West), DIG David Falawiyo, who was in the meeting with the state Commissioner of Police in the state, Ngozi Onadeko, noted that the police would continue to maintain surveillance and presence in the market while ensuring that peace and tranquillity would prevail.

Earlier, the Baale of Shasha, Akinade-Ajani and the Seriki of Shasha, Haruna Maiyasin, in separate remarks, unanimously apologised on behalf of the traders. They assured the governor of their readiness to ensure peaceful coexistence within the Shasha market forthwith.