THE DEATH OF THE LAGOS "IYA OLOJA"; MARKETS LOCKED FOR TWO DAYS

So let me begin my story with the recent lockdown of the various Lagos Markets for the burial of the Market Matron.

I passed by the Mushin and Oshodi markets and I was utterly surprised at the total and complete lock down of the market and I could not help but wonder at the reason for a total and complete lock down of the markets. Needless to say I was unable to buy the stuffs I wanted to buy because someone had declared a public holiday for the Lagos traders.

Further information and news gathered revealed that market traders were forced into submission and compliance by officers of the police and the association that was meant to represent them the (traders).

Someone or some set of people decided that they must honor their Market matron by closing and taking out the means of livelihood and cutting off trade for the entire Lagos economy.

A simple question to ask is this: how can the death of one person be made to be the cause of hunger and loss of livelihood of millions of Lagosians who depend on daily sales?

Why must people be forced to close their shops and forego their means of daily livelihood because of someone they probably had never met?

I believe strongly that we need a change in our mentality and we need to respect the rights to individualism and respect should be paid to the rights of traders to not be made to forcefully mourn the death of a stranger. The “mama Oloja” did not help traders pay shop rents neither did she help stock their shops with wares for the Lagosians that were forced to have a 2 day public holiday.

If the Lagos economy took stock of how much money its economy lost within those 2 days they might likely inform similar associations to stay clear of declaring a compulsory lock up shop to all traders.

You should read Prof. Wole Soyinka’s article on “THE VILLAGE MOURNERS ASSOCIATION”

Let the family of the dead bury their dead in whatever fashion they may please, but it is absolutely wrong for you to force the entire Lagos residents (buyers and sellers) to mourn with you