Ahmed Ojikutu, the President of the Computer and Allied Product Dealers Association of Nigeria (CAPDAN), one of the coalitions of associations in Computer village, shares the position of CAPDAN with ITPulse on the leadership crisis rocking the foremost ICT market in Nigeria.
“We saw in some quarters that pressmen reported that the Iyaloja General Folasade Tinubu Ojo shut computer village over the refusal to pay her N5 million naira. This news is entirely false. We do not peddle lies and falsehood. The truth is that it was Coalition of associations in Computer village that led their members into a peaceful protest on Monday 1st of June, so that they won’t result in violent protest as they are tired and fed up of the oppression, intimidation, harassment and extortion of their members, by the Iyaloja / Babaloja of Computer village.
Timi David Famoroti, the President of the Coalition of associations in Computer village and Vice Chairman of Ogunbiyi community CDA while speaking at a peace meeting with Folasade Tinubu Ojo said, “We have very great regard for the office of the Iyaloha General. We have a high regard for the traditions and culture of our people.
We are doing everything to calm our people. They don’t want Niyi Olasoji and Bisola Azeez. We never accepted them from the beginning. They were forced on us. A year ago when they were going to be installed, none of us was consulted. When we heard about their installation, we protested to the house of assembly and some of our representatives visited the Iyaloja to tell her we don’t want these people.
We have rejected Niyi Olasoji and Abisola Azeez For the following reasons:
- An attempt to illegally scrap our CDA by lying to the government about the status of our community, to strengthen their new office as Babaloja/ Iyaloja.
- As former CDA chairman and auditor, the duo never gave any account to the community of over N50 million that came into the community in the 5 years of their administration.
- They have illegally converted most to the asset of the CDA to Babaloja/ Iyaloja asset.
- They are still using some of the contacts and influence of the former office to deceive the public as they have not handed over to the New CDA chairman despite letters from the ministry instructing them to hand over.
- On the part of the business people, we are tired of extortion, intimidation, and harassment of our members and customers.
- They act as if they are Kings and Queens of the computer village. They drop the Iyaloja General name at every police station and ministry any time they are invited. They don’t attend most of the peace meetings they were invited to by the Local government.
- They send boys to beat the assistant secretary of the CDA, case still in court.
- They are illegally obtaining levies from our members.
- They tax our members to pay heavily when they come to offload their goods.
- They have no regard for our elders the Landlord and the CDA of their host community.
- They are bad ambassadors to the office of Iyaloja General. They don’t have the capacity to represent that office.
- They are our colleagues, we know them. The leopard cannot change it skin. They thrive on lies and falsehood. They lie to us about Iyaloja General and they must have lie to her about us too. They got this their titles by falsehood.
- Their narrative is what can set computer village ablaze. They lied that Igbo want to forcefully take over the community. Is the Local government chairman Igbo? Is the CDA chairman Igbo, Is the Coalition of Associations President Igbo?
They have nearly succeeded in making us enemies of ourselves. Thank God for wisdom… We have been able to calm them and encourage them not to go into violent protests.
The Tinubu family has a great name in Lagos. They must not allow men and women of zero character to drag their name into the mud. They are only using the name of the Iyaloja General to feed their greed and selfish ambitions.
Why should we sacrifice our peace for two selfish and greedy people?
All we want is that Bisola Azeez and Niyi Olasoji be removed. They have destroyed our business community enough. Our customers are now scared of coming to the computer village.
They put the picture of Iyaloja General by theirs and drop her name everywhere. They are illegally using Lagos state Logo as the stamp of their authority.
They are not our leaders. They are forcing themselves on the people. They can’t influence anyone to follow them. That’s why they use area boys. We cannot continue like this.
Both the CDA and business community, over I5 association are saying we don’t want them.
In this era of social distancing, our streets are now full of street traders. They have started collecting money from street traders again despite the fact that the state government gave a directive not to engage in it.
They attack the CDA chairman when he confronted them while putting boys in front of his house. Niyi Olasoji was their life, he instructed the boys to forcefully display their wares all because of money. It was a show of shame that day. No respect for government instructions… No regard for the feeling of the people.
How can Bisola Azeez order that a gate that was installed by the community at Idowu lane be destroyed? What kind of a leader does that? We can’t stand this anymore. It’s the height of impunity.
We don’t belong to the market women association of Nigeria. We have our own association. If the Lagos state government insists on imposing Iyaloja / Baloloja on our business environment then we must be the ones to determine who lead us. But we have rejected Niyi and Bisola. They must be stopped from using Tinubu’s name from perpetrating crime and illegalities.”
In her response Mrs. Folasade Ojo, the Iyaloja General blamed the Olaniyi Olasoji the Babaloja and Bisola Azeez the Iyaloja of Computer village for not taking her advice. She said she warned them not to start working after their installation without consulting with the aggrieved parties and winning them. She said she warned them not to collect levies when they came to seek her advice. She blames them for using their act of omission and commotion to drag her name into the mud and promised to penalise them. But postponed their judgment.
She encourages everyone to get involved and work together.
