Traders in the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, Lagos-Badagry Expressway have dismissed the rumour making the rounds that they have been given quit notice by the Lagos State government.
According to the traders, they have 50 years lease agreement with the Federal Government, which is subject to renewal at the expiration of the first contract.
They, therefore, argued that there is no way a different body would come to give them a quit notice.
The President of Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association (ASPMDA), Chief Daniel Oforkansi, in a chat with Sunday Sunsaid that the quit notice was nothing, but fake news.
He said that though the traders in the complex got their lease from Federal Government, they have cordial relationship with the Lagos State government.
He also said that those who are spreading the false news are mischief-makers.
“To be honest with you, there is nothing like quit notice from the Lagos State government. I have not even heard the rumour. But if there is anything like that, it is the handiwork of mischief-makers. We, as a responsible people maintain cordial relationship with both the Federal Government whom we got our lease from and Lagos State, which is our host community. We are keeping to the agreement that we have with the Federal Government, therefore, nothing at all would warrant any government, either federal or state, to give us quit notice.
“The issue of quit notice normally arises from default or misunderstanding, but none of this has happened. Though 50 years is still a very long way to go, we have the confidence that even before the expiration of the lease, the Federal Government as partner in progress would renew it for us.”
Contributing, a member of the executive of Balogun Business Association, Austin Sokwue, said that Lagos State is simply the host community of the complex.
Sokwue who is a legal practitioner and the chairman of arbitration and mediation committee on the association said that due process was followed in securing their lease through the Trade Fair Management Board and that as a responsible organization, they have been working in agreement with the lease.
According to him, the so-called quit notice only exists in the imagination of those spreading the rumour.
He said that traders in the Trade Fair Complex have not defaulted in any way and as such there was no basis for terminating their tenure.