The Ondo State Government has warned and directed owners of illegal structures in market vicinity to vacate the areas, to pave the way for modern and unhindered trading activities in the state.
Chief Timehin Adelegbe, the Commissioner for Commerce, Industries and Cooperative Societies, gave the directive on Wednesday while inspecting Igbokoda International market in Ilaje Local Government Area of the state.
Adelegbe said that the state government would soon clamp down on illegal structures impeding sanity of economic transactions.
“What prompted our visit is the complaints we received from market women, the traditional rulers that the market is not properly managed; dirty and people are not properly occupying the stalls.
“We have discovered that illegal shops are causing gridlock and other problems and we have agreed that they must be demolished after proper approval from the state governor.
“The market is our pride and I tell you that we will destroy all attachments causing gridlock and all debris will be evacuated.
“Anyone’s shop demolished will not receive any palliatives because there are many stalls in the market meant to be occupied with anyone who has paid his dues,’’ he said.
The commissioner added that collection of rate would only be done by officials of the ministry and that marketers would be encouraged to move in.
According to him, the tripartite agreement by the ministry, the Local Government and the traditional rulers will definitely prompt the market to achieve its targeted goals.
“I urge traders to hearken to this agreement reached because it is for their benefits as the state is considering it a big market that could make a lot of investment for the government.
Also, Mr Fayowole Aworetan, the Caretaker Chairman of the council, said that the market was surrounded with a lot of issues, saying the commissioner’s visit had been able to resolve them.
Aworetan noted that the Local Government was ready to partner with the state government and the market women, hoping that the market would soon be in its good glory.
The commissioner reported that Oba Afolabi Oladimeji, the traditional ruler of Igbokoda, decried the unwholesome activities taking place in the market but promised that the community would cooperate with the government to restore sanity.
Oba Oladimeji said that he wanted functional market and called for proper allocation of the stalls in the market.
He commended the government, saying that the visit would give the government proper information for good ideas to be implemented.
“It will help the government to come up with good policy making mechanisms because of cross fertilisation of ideas.’’