Computer Village: CAPDAN insists Iyaloja, Babaloja must go

The Computer and Allied Products Dealers Association of Nigeria (CAPDAN) has decried what it describes as the unwholesome activities of thugs allegedly working for Iyaloja and Babaloja (market leaders) of Computer Village to extort money from traders and intimidate them, insisting that traders kick against the installation of Iyaloja and Babaloja in the market.

CAPDAN warned that traders and other stakeholders will be forced to embark on a 100,000-man protest if the current situation is not reversed, stating that it was regrettable that the name of Iyaloja-General of Lagos and daughter of All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Mrs Folasade Tinubu-Ojo, is being used as a cover to perpetrate evil.

Mrs Tinubu-Ojo had in May 2019 installed Mrs Abisola Azeez and Mr Adeniyi Olasoji as the Iyaloja and Babaloja respectively for the largest Information and Communications Technology (ICT) accessories market in West Africa. Some traders have, however, insisted on their rejection of the installation of Iyaloja and Babaloja,arguing that are applicable only to markets where foodstuffs and apparels are sold and not in an ICT hub.

Speaking,Ahmed Ojikutu, CAPDAN President, said representatives of traders in Computer Village had recently met with Iyaloja-General, stating that she refuted the claim that she approved the collection of levies by Iyaloja and Babaloja.

“Representatives from Computer Village met her and our position was made known. They made their stand known that we don’t want Iyaloja and Babaloja. They are dropping her name to terrorise Computer Village. We are telling her that they are dropping her name to tarnish her image. The woman asked them if she sent them to collect money on her behalf, they said she didn’t. We told her that if she doesn’t resolve the problem, twenty years from now, the problem will still be there,” he said.

Earlier, Tinubu-Ojo had explained that she had the power to choose anybody from any Local Government in the state to head the market, stating that all the Iyalojas and Babalojas in all the Lagos markets are her representatives in the market where they preside.

“Computer Village is not just an ICT hub, there are a lot of commodities being sold there; nobody can say it is wrong to select a babaloja and iyaloja for the market. Those that have been selected were not selected because they are Yoruba, in some of our markets in Lagos we have Igbos that were selected as market leaders,” she added.