By Gbenga Sodeinde
Apparently displeased with the congestion being experienced at Oja Oba and its environs, Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi had given an order to roadside traders at Ọja Oba and other strategic places in Ado- Ekiti, the State capital, to relocate to Agric Olope and Awedele markets within the metropolis.
Dr. Fayemi, who gave 7 days ultimatum before the enforcement of the order in Ado-Ekiti expressed his displeasure at a meeting with stakeholders including security agencies, market women leaders, transport union leaders, environmental sanitation officers, representatives of government agencies, and chairmen Ado Ekiti local government and local council development areas.
The Governor said defaulters of the order would be prosecuted, according to extant environmental laws of the state beginning from July 4th when the 7 days ultimatum lasted.
The Governor also expressed displeasure at the indiscriminate disposal of refuse on the median of the dual carriage roads in the State capital, adding that enforcement agencies and mobile courts would be instituted in critical places in the state capital to arrest and immediately prosecute defaulters.
The Governor revealed that all the needed facilities to make Agric Olope and Awedele markets conducive had been provided in addition to adequate security, including Amotekun to secure properties and lives of the people in the area.
He charged the people of the state and environmental sanitation agencies to complement government efforts at making the state clean and healthy.
The Governor also ordered that relevant agencies, committees, local government council and other concerned groups to form a synergy and come up with a roadmap that would form the action plan for implementation within seven days.
Governor Fayemi disclosed that the ongoing bus terminal building in the State capital was part of government measure to address indiscriminate commercial car activities and make the road safe for all users in the state.
“I have just driven from Ilawe to government house and it is the same problem. This is 11 O’clock all the rubbish dropped in the median of the dual carriage way is still seating there as I speak.
“The major reason I called this meeting is particularly about the problem at Oja Oba. I will give one week till July 4 for every single space around Oja Oba to be cleared. Those who are supposed to go to Agric Olope or Awedele , which will have been cleared and made available , would be prosecuted if they default within the next one week.
“I want to plead with all that are concerned, the committee that Hon Commissioner for Works and Transport chaired, the one that Director General Office of transformation, Strategy and Delivery (OTSD) has been driving all these should come together after this meeting and develop a road map that will be the action plan for implementation within the next one week.
If there are cost implementations let me have it and I will address that. Anybody who has no business in Oja Ọba should move to Agric Olope or Awedele markets.” He charged.
As early as 7am, of July 4, 2022 when Governor Fayemi’s ultimatum elapsed, the state law enforcement officers apparently determined to carry out their duties effectively were seen stationed around the Oja oba market in Ado Ekiti and the main roads to obviously do their job so as to ensure that the people abide by the government’s directive.
The Market women and men continued to play along with the rules, even though they usually relapsed during the evening to scatter on the main road and occupied the roads because they were sure that the law enforcement officers were no longer available as they would have closed for the day.
However the people orderliness in the market, at least in the morning to afternoon didn’t last more that three weeks of the ultimatum’s effect that they started displaying their markets and goods on the roads indiscriminately.
This situation which had continued till the time of filing this report made the heritagenewsng editor to visit the market to interview the people on the reason behind their actions. The heritagenewsng saw how disorganized, rough and dirty the market looked, besides piles of refuse were found littering the market, particularly the Oja Bisi lane as at the time of the visit.
The second in command to the Majeobaje of Oja Oba, Mrs. Ereola Osho who said pleaded with the government to make foot paths where people can be gaining entrance to the new Market located in front of the Obas palace
Oja Oba, Fajuyi Hall lane in Ado Ekiti
She disclosed that this might be responsible for people marketing around that area to abide strictly and stay inside the new market complex, because people do not have access to the people inside the complex easily.
These are traders who spoke with heritagenewsng
Another trader Mr. Jude Nwobi said “we are on the road because we believe we can sell our market faster, he advised the government to demarcate the Oja Oba market with babbled wires like it did the Awedele market to prevent people from indiscriminate display of ware .”
Simple, another trader hawking said, I saw people displaying their goods without being molested or arrested that is why I also displayed mine on the road where people can easily buy from me ”
Mrs Adewale Oja, another trader said, ” the Agric Olope is the den of the criminals, where weed smokers and other criminal activities are being perpetrated, so the place is not safe to go”
Mrs Olisa another trader said, “what we were thinking is that the government has left us to allow the next government to do the needful if it is necessary that we must not continue to trade on the road again. We are ready to abide by the order once the government enforces it and make sure that their goods and properties are safe anywhere it asked to go”
Uchenna David said “I am ready to comply with the government order anytime ,” but he added that the government must order and follow it up, just like the time Governor Fayose ordered the people selling phone accessories at Fajuyi to move to Ajilosun , Fayose market and it was obeyed because the Governor followed it up and provided all the needed facilities at the market.
Ucheunna pointed out that he was not sure whether Agric Olope is safe for them, adding that apart from that, “there is no police or fire station around in the market, so I believe the people will no longer be defiant to governmet directive if the government follows it up with all seriousness and do the needful”. He added.
Another shop owner and trader at Oja Oba market, Mrs Ajayi Ojo, said the government has yet to provide space for the people to put their goods for safety at both Agric Olope and Awedele markets.
She specifically frowned at the situation of the market in Agric Olope saying “there is no security there and the place is not conducive to trading.”
But when heritagenewsng editor visited the Agric market, it discovered the contrary to the claim that the place is not safe, that the market is adequately fortified with Security by the state government as the reporter met both the police and Amotekun on ground despite the fact that there was no prior notice.
Although the market is bushy while some of the shops there were not covered as a result of fire incident which had occurred at the market before, and there were no fire station, police posts , public toilets in the market.
ASP Anthony Jayeoba who was on duty, said it was a big lie that the place is not safe or that the market is the hideout of criminals, adding that, although it was so before, but since March 2021 that the police have been drafted to the market, the place have become safe as such incidents never occur at the place.
The police officer however called on the government to provide police station that it promised to build in the market for them, saying “as you can see that we are using one of the shops as office since then”
The district admin officer Amotekun, Hannah Ilori, who was on duty at Agric Olope market when heritagenewsng visited the place, said the market has been well protected since they were posted to the market since early 2022 and that there have never been any criminal activities witnessed at the area since then.
When contacted on the situation of things, the Commissioner for information, Hon. Barr. Akin Omole appreciated the tenacity of the reporter in investigative journalism, adding that he would pass all the information to the appropriate quarters for necessarily government actions.
Photo Speaks: Agric Olope market
