Former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso stoked a wrong fire in Lagos when he visited the city. He asked the state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, to go back on his decision to relocate the Mile 12 Market.
Kwankwaso, who is now senator representing Kano, characterised Governor Ambode’s decision as “unfair and unacceptable” and a witch-hunt of the Hausa-Fulani community in the state.
This action is not only divisive but beneath the dignity of a person who was voted to run a state in the federation. His action ran foul of decency as he did not think it necessary to liaise with the state governor. If he had a grievance, as he seemed to have, he should have communicated with the chief executive of the state and formalised his objection.
He acted as though he was not once enthroned as a state leader and did not recognise the etiquette and civility of government business. It was in order that he came to town to execute the bail of tens of citizens who were arrested over murderous violence that racked the major market in March.
Rather than address the reasons for the outburst of violence, he took sides and presented himself as tribal and sectarian champion. Did the former governor not follow the news? Or was he only partially tuned to the developments in that vast and bubbly market? In March, the Mile 12 Market tumbled into chaos as young men, including those bailed by the former governor, went on the rampage, killing and maiming. Market stalls and nearby buildings and homes were gutted by fire.
It was an unacceptable orgy of slaughter. The market was closed down but even that did not prevent some of the hoodlums from perpetrating more mayhem. Again, this was not the first time that market would make headlines for the wrong reasons.
Senator Kwankwaso reportedly gathered those teenagers whom he bailed out and gave them money to set up businesses outside the state. The former governor just enlisted himself in the ignoble register of top Nigerians who look at the nation through jaundiced ethnic lens.
He is not aware that Mile 12 is not the only market that is planned for relocation. Such markets as Tejuosho, Alaba and Balogun have been relocated. Recently, Oshodi Market has been shut down and will be relocated. Ladipo Market is also billed for relocation.
It is the reality of modernisation. As the state undergoes infrastructure renewal, old mainstays are either tweaked or overhauled, or completely removed.
The Mile 12 Market was not the commercial place for Hausa-Fulanis alone. Yorubas, Igbos, Niger Delta citizens also traded there. The relocation will affect all of them. They are going to a place called Imota, and Senator Kwankwaso did not even investigate the place or visit there to assess its suitability.
The members of Arewa community in Lagos are at one with Governor Ambode’s decision to change the market’s location.
Said its secretary, Musa Saleh: “We wish to state categorically without any fear of equivocation that we are 100 percent in support of the relocation of Mile 12 Market to the new ultra-modern agricultural market at Imota currently being developed by the Lagos State Government and we are ready to move to the new market as soon as possible.”
It is a pity that Senator Kwankwaso, who came second in the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primaries with an ambition to run this country of multi-ethnic array, came to the same city to divide rather than unite.
Kwankwaso should step back from such bigoted image.
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