Osun Market Women Protest Against Aregbesola's Weighting Scales

Aggrieved market women at the popular Igbona market, Olorunda Local Government Area of Osun State on Thursday staged a peaceful demonstration to protest against imposition of "Osunwon Omoluabi" measurement scale by the State Government.

The market women especially those dealing with grains and measurable products closed their shops and stormed the popular Olaiya Junction around 11:45 am before they headed to the State House of Assembly to register their grievances.

The angry traders frowned at what they described as imposition of Osunwon Omoluabi measurement scales, vowing to resist any attempt by the state government to compel them into using the scales.

It would be recalled that the state Ministry of Commerce, Cooperative and Empowerment’s task force and compliance officials had on Tuesday, thronged the market to enforce the usage of the measurement scale by the market women especially those dealing with grains and measurable products.

The ministry’s task force and compliance officials were in the market as early as 9: 00 in the morning to monitor the level of compliance and also to sell the new scale to defaulters who might have not bought it.

The development which was said to have paralyzed the business activities in the market did not go down well with the market women, hence resulting into taking their grievances to the public domain.

Speaking, one of the protesters, who simply identified herself as Okin-Elelubo, said they preferred traditional measurement scale popularly called “Igbako or Osunwon” to that of Osunwon Omoluabi scales.

Okin-Elelubo stated that the non-conformity of the modern measurement scales which they use in buying their products from the villages and other produce points with the one introduced by the state government as the major reason for their refusal to use it.

She further explained that task force had seized their goods and up till now the seized goods has not been released.

Echoing a similar view, Alhaja Owoduni Salawu accused the state government of not giving them any orientation as to the workings of the new scale.

Alaja Salawu said they have taken the matter to the Iyaloja General of the state, Alhaja Awawu Asindemade whom they accused of conniving with the state government.

She therefore rejected the new scale just as she asked the state government to produce en-masse, the old scale with strong monitoring team which will after and prosecute anyone who tampers with such scale, weights and measures.