The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has called on Governor Seyi Makinde to provide adequate monetary compensation to business owners who were forcefully ejected from the Agbowo Shopping Complex in Ibadan in 2019, following a failed renovation project.
The party noted that thousands of legal occupants of the facility were evicted shortly after the governor assumed office, as the state government announced plans to transform the complex into a world-class business hub within a year. However, more than four years later, the project remains abandoned, with Governor Makinde openly admitting the failure.
In a statement issued over the weekend and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, the Oyo APC also condemned the alleged harassment of legitimate shop owners and traders at the Bola Ige International Market (popularly known as New Gbagi Market) by agents of the state government.
“It is sad to note that a large number of residents and citizens who were running legitimate businesses at Agbowo Shopping Complex were forcefully ejected to pave the way for an upgrade that never materialized,” the statement read. “Today, the complex is a shadow of itself. Nothing has been done there since 2019.”
The party added that the situation has plunged many families into economic hardship.
“This ill-conceived and failed renovation project has led to poverty, avoidable deaths, illnesses, and frustration for entrepreneurs who were driven away and left stranded. Rather than create wealth, the government chose to cripple thousands of struggling citizens. It is only just that they are compensated.”
The APC further urged Governor Makinde to address what it described as the “bastardization” of the New Gbagi Market’s original layout, allegedly due to the activities of certain agents within his administration.
“Illegal structures have been erected on car parks, access roads, reserved spaces, and even waterways. These areas have been converted into shops or sold off to cronies and corporate organizations, causing severe congestion and hardship for thousands of traders.”
The party also accused the state government of indiscriminately selling public assets.
“We have observed that the Makinde administration has sold off the land previously used as a tanker loading point by the Water Corporation of Oyo State (WCOS), just as it did with the BCOS Staff Quarters about four years ago. In the last six years, numerous public and private lands have been taken over by proxies of the governor. This trend must be stopped.”
