Following persistent cases of accidents at its current location within the heart of the town, the Ekiti State Government, has ordered immediate relocation of the Central Market at Iworoko-Ekiti, in Irepodun/ Ifelodun Local Government Area of the State.
The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief Monisade Afuye, gave the directive in Ado Ekiti, on Monday, during an interaction with the concerned stakeholders and landowners from the community.
Sequel to the recurrent cases of autocrashes and the attendant carnages in the Iworoko Central Market, Governor Biodun Oyebanji, had a couple of months ago directed the composition of a committee, headed by his Deputy, to resolve issues dogging the relocation of the market to another location within the town.
The composition of the committee stemmed from the mounting opposition from Arinjale family of Iworoko community, who claimed that the proposed land, where the market is to be relocated belongs to them.
Members of the committee are: Mrs Afuye(Chairman), Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Dayo Apata, SAN his counterparts in the Chieftaincy and Home Affairs, Hon Ojo Atibioke, Local Government Affairs, Hon Folorunso Oyebode, Special Adviser on Lands, Prof James Olaleye, and the Chairman of the Ifedara Local Council Development Area, Hon. Sunday Ogundola.
Addressing the stakeholders, Mrs Afuye, in a statement by her Special Assistant on Media, Victor Ogunje, said the meeting was on the directive of Governor Oyebanji, that all the stakeholders should be summoned to a roundtable meeting to resolve the bedlam surrounding the proposed new location for the market.
The Deputy Governor appealed to the landowners in the community to allow the market to be relocated at the right time, saying the number of deaths already recorded was enough sadness to the state.
Mrs Afuye urged the community to embrace unity and peace, saying the relocation is expedient at this auspicious time to avert further deaths at the troubled spot.
The deputy governor said, “I want to appeal to you to allow this market to be relocated. In the last five years, several people have been killed at the current location of the market. Though, the accidents were happening in your domain, but it is within Ekiti State and Nigeria.
“Governor Biodun Oyebanji is not happy about the deaths being recorded at this market when there are other locations where it can be relocated. Let me assure you that the government is ready to give the necessary compensation to the landowners affected.
“Please, don’t sabotage our efforts in ensuring that the relocation is done timely. Governor Oyebanji won’t like a situation whereby another death will be recorded in that market.”
In his submission, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dayo Apata, SAN, said section 14 of the 1999 Constitution places the onerous responsibility on government to ensure protection of lives and property of the people in the overriding public interest.
“Even, the Land Use Act gave the government the overriding power to acquire any land in public interest, so this action is for your own interest and the government can no longer wait, because lives are being lost,” he said.
Earlier in his presentation of the report, the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Deputy Governor, Mr Abayomi Opeyemi, stated that the need to relocate the market started in 2019 when over 19 persons were killed in an accident, which propelled the Iworoko people to ask for the relocation.
The Regent of Iworoko Ekiti, Princess Bolanle Ogundola, appreciated the state government for intervening in the matter, pointing out that it will help in resolving the issue of the community being plunged into mourning always.
