As part of activities marking the second anniversary of his administration, Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has commissioned an Ultramodern Central market in Ado- Ekiti.
The Governor said the imposing market complex which boasts of modern facilities would boost commerce and other economic activities in the state capital.
Dr. Fayemi whose first administration conceptualized the market in 2012, however, commended his immediate predecessor, Mr Ayo Fayose for starting the project which was at 55 percent completion level at the time the last administration left office, two years ago.
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The Governor disclosed that he was determined to complete the project inherited from the immediate past administration because of his resolve to give priority attention to abandoned projects, adding that his administration still retained the same contractor engaged by his predecessor.
Dr. Fayemi 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.
He 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.
He however appealed to traders who still display their wares on the roadside to move into the new market to allow for a free flow of traffic and for their personal safety.
The governor, who also inaugurated two of the newly built Model colleges, said the schools were put in place to decongest public schools and open up new settlements in Ado to economic and Infrastructural development.
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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 was 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.
He mentioned that payment of all outstanding counterpart funds running into seven billion naira to Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) from 2015 to 2019, provision of instructional materials to schools, payment of regular running grants to all public Primary and Secondary Schools in the State, massive reconstruction and rehabilitation of school infrastructure and construction of additional school buildings as well as the provision of conducive teaching and learning environment in schools were part of the steps taking to tackle challenges mitigating against child enrolment in the state.
Other efforts put in place according to him included; introduction of the School Feeding Programme in primary schools, regular capacity building programmes for teachers, payment of teachers’ salaries as and when due and fostering greater synergy with development partners, UBEC, and the Federal Ministry of Education amongst others.
