The Oyo State House of Assembly Speaker, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin has assured traders at the popular Gbagi International Market, Ibadan that the present administration in the state under the leadership of Governor Seyi Makinde will improve facilities at the market in line with his electioneering campaign promise.
Hon. Ogundoyin gave the assurance during a courtesy visit by elders and leaders of the Textile Market in his office.
The traders led by the Chairman, Council of Elders and Board of Trustees, Gbagi Market, Ibadan Alhaji Mukaila Adebayo were at the Speaker’s office to present some of the challenges confronting the market, especially lack of parking space before him.
The Speaker assured them that the present administration in the state will not renege on its promise of providing necessary infrastructure in the market to befit the status of an international market and in line with the original master plan as designed by the late Chief Bola Ige.
“I want to assure you that your requests will be comprehensively presented to Governor Seyi Makinde. Though he is aware of your needs in the market and that was why he promised during our election campaign in 2019 that he would address infrastructural problems in the market.
“We will not only improve facilities at the market, we will also decongest the market and ensure parking spaces are provided at every strategic point and area at the market.
“I will send a delegation of the Oyo State House of Assembly to the market for on the spot assessment of the situation there. Let me state categorically that all illegal shop construction going on in the market will be stopped forthwith. We are determined to restore the lost glory of Gbagi International Market,” Ogundoyin said.
Speaking earlier on the essence of their visit to the Speaker, the Secretary, Council of Elders in the market, Evang. Tunde Folorunsho said they came to register their dissatisfaction with the way lock-up shops are being built on areas designated as car park in the market.
The elders equally identified their other needs in the market to include lack of portable water, inadequate and irregular power supply, lack of enough toilet facilities, lack of good road network within the market among others.
They identified lack of car park as one major problem that is discouraging prospective customers with cars from coming to the market to patronize their textile materials, saying that this has been affecting sales negatively.
Packaged by Kunle Gazali
