Stakeholders of the Lagos International Centre of Commerce (LICC) have kicked against the alleged on-going concessioning of the International Trade Fair Complex, Lagos, by the Federal Government.
Tony Obi, spokesperson of the stakeholders and President, Balogun Business Association, who spoke in Lagos on Wednesday, disclosed that they had 50 years lease agreement with the Federal Government still running and renewable at the end of the tenure.
Obi spoke against the backdrop of last Monday’s mass protest of traders at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, who trooped to protest against the alleged concessioning of the complex by the Federal Government.
He added: “This is the union that has been in existence for years now. We have existing sub-lease agreement from the Federal Government and this lease agreement is still running.
“Sometime last year, we got information about on-going concession. We verified the information and confirmed it. We said no, we cannot fold our hands and watch our property go away like that.”
Obi explained that although the association was not against concessioning, but the Federal Government should have been mindful of the areas that are vacant for such purpose, stressing that they would not fold their arms and watch their property being taken away and given to someone else.
“We have lease agreement that is on-going. As a result of that, though we are not against the Federal Government policy on concession, but our prayers in court is that they should first give us the offer of first refusal.
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“They should leave us alone because our lease agreement is still running and we still have about 20 something years to go. We can’t develop the place, built edifice around here and suddenly, another person will become landlord and they will turn all of us into tenants to somebody else which is not good. So that is what we are agitating for,” Obi opined
He called on the government to respect the lease agreement with the 13 different business communities within the International Trade Fair Complex, which provides for the 75% development of the complex, which they have done, arguing that the remaining 25% can be concessioned.
According to him, “We are the major stakeholders here and we have covered about 75% of the entire complex. The remaining 25% is vacant. Since we have been asked to develop the 75% of the entire complex, 25% will be nothing to us.”
The LICC spokesperson further said the entire market community had been housing about 180,000 thousand people, confirming them as one of the greatest employer of labour.
He urged the Federal Government to retrace its steps, as it would have adverse effect on the marketers as well as the economy.
He said: “Nobody can manage the place except the traders. This is an empty space, developed, occupied, still maintaining and keeping with the conditions. We pay our dues, annual rent and others.”
Obi, who expressed worry over the government’s action of government, said they pay their dues and annual rents regularly, developed the complex to an acceptable standard, even as he urged government to revisit the recommendations of the Senate Committee on Trade and Investment, where it advised that it should restrain actions on the matter.
He, however, revealed that the body had taken the matter to court, suing Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, Trade Fair Management Board, etc, adding that the respondents were yet to file their responses at the court.
