Recently, the Iyaloja of Lagos and President General of Market Men and Women,Chief Mrs Folashade Tinubu-Ojo marked her one year in office with pomp.
It was a big ceremony which held at a popular event center in Lagos; Queen Ayo Balogun was on the band stand at the event. The extravagance displayed at the event notwithstanding, the Iyaloja is troubled, she is battling to unite the house her predecessor, the late Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji left behind. Her one year in office has also been characterised with crisis.
Since the passing on of Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, the homefront she left behind has been divided, they are no longer united which is a source of concern to the first daughter of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who took over the management of the house situated behind Alausa in Ikeja. Alhaja Mogaji's grandson, Damola Kasumu once alleged of been neglected, he accused Folashade Tinubu-Ojo of not carrying him along in what goes on in Alhaja's household which is a strange development, compared to what
obtained when the former Iyaloja was alive.
One of the instances cited by our source was the event that played out during the one year remembrance of Alhaja Mogaji, Damola who was the closest person to Alhaja was omitted from the arrangement of the event, he wasn't carried along as to how the event was put together. Hence he was conspicuously absent at the event held at Tafawa Balewa Square Lagos.
Again, Damola shares birthday with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, usually he and Asiwaju celebrate together but this year’s was an exception. Damola wasn't informed that Asiwaju's birthday will be held at Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. He felt been neglected since the person who united the family i.e Alhaja Mogaji is no longer alive. When news hit town that the house Alhaja Mogaji left behind in Alausa isn't the same again, Chief Mrs Folashade Ojo was said to have confronted Damola that he is the one spreading the news around. In another development, the current Iyaloja General is also sitting on a divided market councils.
The story emanating from the rank and file of executive members of the market council is not too palatable, some of them are not too happy with her headship. Since she assumed office in October 201, most popular markets in Lagos have come under the hammer of Mrs Tinubu-Ojo, they have been shut on different occasion. A case in point is the Iponri and Mile 12 markets,"this is not how Alhaja Mogaji ruled in her lifetime," an aggrieved market leader told The Capital.
We reached out to Chief Mrs Folashade Tinubu-Ojo on her mobile phone, but our several calls were not answered.
