By Ayodele Oni
The age-long Ultramodern Market in Ado Ekiti was commissioned by Governor Kayode Fayemi, on Thursday as part of activities marking his second year in office.
The market known locally as “Oja Oba” or “Erekesan” which boasts of modern facilities would boost commerce and other economic activities in the state capital.
The idea for the market was first conceptualized in 2012, during the first tenure of Dr Fayemi, but the construction was started by Mr Ayo Fayose’s administration. It could not be completed before the end of his regime.
Fayemi commended his immediate predecessor, Mr. Ayo Fayose for starting the project which was at 70 per cent completion level at the time the last administration left office, two years ago.
The Governor disclosed that he was determined to complete the project inherited from the immediate past administrations because of his resolve to give priority to abandoned projects, adding that his administration still retained the same contractor engaged by his predecessor.
He explained that the new market was purposely built to benefit the state describing it as “another eloquent testimony of impacting lives and building legacies for the benefit of the people.”
Some of the facilities in the market, according to the Governor, are 234 open shops, 738 lock up shops, two restaurants, two banking halls, two warehouses, a police post, a clinic and an expansive parking lot.
Describing the market as “befitting the state capital, the Governor said it would add to the aesthetics of the city and was part of the fulfilment of his administration’s Urban Renewal policy started during his first term in office.
Dr. Fayemi added that his administration has replicated similar market projects in every local government headquarter in the state to make commerce conducive for buyers and sellers and boost Internally Generated Revenue.
The Governor appealed to traders who still display their wares on the roadside to move into the new market to allow for free flow of traffic and for their personal safety.
“This project was conceived to make trading conducive, I expect our traders who display their wares on the road to move in to decongest our road.
“I enjoin market women to make use of this market and plans are afoot to engage professional facility managers to maintain this market.”
Speaking earlier, Ewi, Oba Adejugbe, said the people of his kingdom would be grateful to Governor Fayemi for keeping his promise to complete the market in view of the inability of the last administration to hand it over.
The monarch who went philosophical by saying “man proposes but God disposes” said it was by divine arrangement that made Governor Fayemi to complete a the market and hand it over for the use of the people.
The governor, who also inaugurated two of the newly built model colleges, said the schools were put in place to decongest public schools and to open up new settlement in Ado to economic and Infrastructural development.
Dr Fayemi, explained that the model schools which were named after the illustrious sons of the State, Ayo Fasanmi, Prof ‘Banji Akintoye, Prof David Oke and Chief Deji Fasuan were part of the multifaceted efforts put in place to achieve a pupil friendly environment that would encourage enrolment of school age children in the State.
