The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Erekesan Market

  • ‘Fayose plans to sell Govt property few days to handover’

    FAYOSE: FAYEMI’S MEN WANT TO SCUTTLE MARKET ALLOCATION

     

    As the change of government beckons in Ekiti State, incoming governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and outgoing governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose have renewed hostilities with accusations from both sides.

    Fayemi said he has uncovered an alleged plan by Fayose to secretly sell off some government property through some shady deals.

    Fayose also accused Fayemi’s agents of making moves to block the allocation of new shops to traders at the new Erekesan Market.

    Fayemi in a statement by his Special Adviser (Media), Olayinka Oyebode, alleged that Fayose is planning to sell off the Erekesan Market, many parcels of government lands and other utilities.

    He warned that anybody transacting business with Fayose is doing so at his own risk as the incoming administration will not honour such transactions.

    Fayemi said: “The attention of the Governor-Elect of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has been drawn to the clandestine moves by the outgoing Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Peter Ayodele Fayose to hurriedly dispose off some valuable properties of Ekiti State Government through shady arrangements.

    “Some of the properties are:
    i. A large expanse of land between Ondo State Civil Service Commission and Elan Club, in front of Government Printing Press, Alagbaka, Akure.
    ii. Erinfun Livestock Development Center, covering 600 hectares of land along Federal Polytechnic Road, Ado-Ekiti.
    iii. The new Oja Oba Market, among others.

    “We hereby inform and advise the general public, particularly prospective buyers to be circumspect in entering into any transaction with the outgoing Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose in respect of any of the properties mentioned above or any other one whatsoever as the incoming administration may not recognize or give effect to such transactions.

    “A word is enough for the wise!”

    But Fayose in a statement by his Special Assistant (Public Communications and New Media), Lere Olayinka, alleged that agents of Fayemi are planning a court action to stop the allocation of shops to market men and women.

    He said: “Desperate APC goons led by Fayemi’s Deputy, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi have concluded plans to scuttle allocation of the over 700 lock up shops in the new Oja Oba market to beneficiaries who have already obtained forms.

    “They are set to go to court to stop allocation of the shops.

    “Meanwhile, these same APC people were against the Market Project when it started.

    “But now that the project is nearing completion, they want to allocate the shops to their cronnies not-minding owners of the shops that were demolished to pave way for the new market.

    “Ekiti people should remember how these same APC people shared the Irewolede Housing Estate, Ado Ekiti Duplexes built by the Segun Oni’s PDP govt.

    “This time around however, the people will prevail. The lock up shops will be allocated just the way the over 200 open shops were openly allocated a few weeks ago.”

  • Ekiti: Five docked for stealing 600 bags of cement

    Ekiti: Five docked for stealing 600 bags of cement

    The ongoing construction of the new Erekesan Market otherwise known as “Oja Oba” in Ado-Ekiti by the Ayo Fayose administration has been stalled by alleged theft of about 600 bags of cement and other materials by five workers at the site.

    The five workers: Jegede Olusola, Faleye Sunday, Filani Oladipo, Olabode Felix and Dada Tunde were arraigned before an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrate’s Court on Thursday on two counts charge of stealing.

    They were all charged to court by Ekiti State government before Chief Magistrate Idowu Ayenimo. The charge was filed against them by Director of Public Prosecution, Mr. Gbemiga Adaramola.

    Apart from stealing 600 bags of cement worth N1.5 million, the accused persons also allegedly stole 16mm iron rods worth N35,000, one roll of binding wire worth N112,000 and 180 pieces of marine board worth N378,000 with all the stolen items valued at N2,055,000.00

    The alleged offence is punishable under Sections 390 and 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.

    Work on the new market had stalled for a couple of months which had been attributed to the alleged stealing of construction materials by workers engaged by the contractor who has been in race against time to deliver the project as scheduled.

    The charge sheet reads:  “That you, Jegede Kayode Olusola, Faleye Sunday, Filani Oladipo, Olabode Felix and Dada Tunde between October 6, 2016 to March 31, 2017 did conspire to steal 600 bags of cement worth N1,530,000, 16mm iron rods worth N35,000, one roll of binding wire worth N112,000, 180 pieces of marine board worth N378,000 total value of N2.05m, property of Ekiti State Government at the site of ultramodern Oba’s Market, Old Garage, Ado Ekiti within the Ado Ekiti Magisterial District, thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.”

    At the resumed hearing on Thursday, the prosecutor asked the presiding Chief Magistrate for a short adjournment to enable him respond to the counter-affidavit and Preliminary Objection filed against the charge.

    “We were served this morning, we thought we will be able to respond to the processes but unfortunately we are still typing stage.

    “Consequent upon this, we will be asking for a very short adjournment.”

    The defence counsel, Mr. Obafemi Adewale, did not object to the application.

    In his ruling,  Aiyenimo adjourned the case till August 17 for hearing.

  • Bank workers clean Erekesan market

    Bank workers clean Erekesan market

    Workers of Sterling Bank temporarily abandoned their official duties to carry out community service by cleaning up the Ado-Ekiti Main Market, otherwise known as the Erekesan.

    Armed with shovels, rakes, brooms and other equipment, the bankers stormed the Post Office Roundabout at 6:30 a.m. and cleared heaps of garbage and cleaned the drainages in the vicinity.

    The gesture was part of the firm’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to the people of its area of operations.

    The effort also was aimed at raising the aesthetic value of Ado-Ekiti, prevent breakout of epidemic diseases and improve the city’s cleanliness.

    Speaking during the exercise which lasted for three hours, the bank’s Regional Manager (South West), Mr Abiodun Tomomero, said the programme was also an avenue through which they identified with the people of the city.

    Tomomero, who said the exercise was taking place in 14 states of the federation, added that  the bank would also intervene in other critical sectors such as education and  tourism to boost the state’s human capital development as well as shore up the  resources accruing to it.

    He said the bank had demonstrated  its corporate obligation to the state by building a modern e-library at the College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti, saying the facility is now used by members of staff  of the college and workers of the state civil service.

    “We have discussed with the state waste management agency on those areas that are strategic and prone to dirtiness and we discovered that Oja Oba Market is the right place.

    “Cleanliness, they say, is next to Godliness. We have to make our environment clean. We should not rely on government alone to do everything, because this may bring about breakout of diseases. We are operating in Ekiti and this constitutes part of our noble contributions to this state,” he said.

    Another top executive of the bank, Mr Olatunji Adeyemi, revealed that  members of staff of the bank are participating in the exercise, adding that the programme will create awareness among the people on the need to accord the issue of sanitation a priority.

    The General Manager, Ekiti State Waste Management Agency, Mr Olajide Borode, said every area suspected to be prone to breakout of epidemic diseases within the state capital were being fumigated at regular intervals by the agency.

    Borode appealed to the people to stop sabotaging government’s efforts at making Ekiti clean by refraining from indiscriminate garbage disposal and deposition of sewage inside canals and ditches.

  • Youths rally support for Fayemi’s re-election

    Youths rally support for Fayemi’s re-election

    Some youths under the auspices of Youth Traders’ Association have launched a campaign to rally support for the re-election of Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi.

    The campaign was launched by members of the association in the popular Erekesan Market, Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, with a visit to the palace of the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe. They also visited stalls within the sprawling ware points to mobilise and widen the support base of the incumbent governor among traders.

    Waving banners with various inscriptions on the landmarks of the Fayemi-led administration, the youths  urged traders to return the governor with their votes on June 21.

    Their spokesman, Mr. Opeyemi Fakayode said the mobilisation became necessary because of the facelift Dr Fayemi has brought into governance and turning Ado-Ekiti to a befitting capital city.

    Also  backing the youths, an apolitical organization – Modupe Adelabu Support Group, noted that the state has witnessed tremendous progress under the Fayemi administration.

    The Group’s Coordinator, Prince Diran Aladesanmi, said the state capital has been a major beneficiary of the transformational programmes of government since Fayemi came into the saddle as governor.

    Aladesanmi described as laudable legacies the infrastructure provided by the state government.