…Pledges relocation of Iworoko Market to prevent road crashes

Succour has come the way of fire disaster victims in Ekiti State as the State government recently embarked on empowerment process to alleviate their sufferings and rehabilitate them.

This development was made known by the Deputy Governor of the State, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, when she disclosed that the government has expended about N105 million to empower victims of fire disaster in the state within the last one year.

The government also in an attempt to permanently checkmate the constant incidences of road crashes resulting in deaths of citizens announced plan for the instant relocation of Iworoko Ekiti Central Market, in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area of the State.

Afuye stated this in Ado Ekiti, the State capital city, while distributing various food items and other consumables to 757 victims of rainstorm in Ijelu, Omu and Itapaji Ekiti, in Oye Local Government Area of the State.

The Deputy Governor in a statement signed by her Special Assistant on Media, Victor Ogunje, stressed that relief materials were provided by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in partnership with the State government to ameliorate the sufferings and pains of the fire victims.

Materials distributed include: maize, garri, knapsack sprayer, groundnut oil, clothes, rice and other consumables.

Succour

Addressing the victims, Afuye said: “It is worthy of note that recently, the sum of N35.5m was distributed to victims of fire disaster, while a total of N58.113m was used for transportation of grains and garri, which were distributed to citizens through the LGAs and faith-based groups irrespective of party affiliations.

“There are other approvals such as the sum of N12m for fire victims. Another sum of N47m is in the pipeline being processed for victims of rainstorm. On our part, we are committed to fulfilling our promises to the people in line with our policy thrust”.

She assured the residents that every food palliative consignment released to the state by federal government will be fairly and equitably distributed to the populace without discrimination.

Afuye further stated that Governor Biodun Oyebanji has been making frantic efforts and taken copious actions to tame incidences of flooding in Ekiti through aggressive dredging of canals and waterways.

Flood mitigation

The deputy governor urged the residents to always take precautionary measures that could forestall the negative effects of rainstorm through turnaround maintenance of their residences and eschew actions that could block waterways that can result in flooding.

This is as she noted, “Anytime there is a long rain in Ekiti at night, your governor don’t normally sleep. He will be making calls and inquiring whether there was any rainstorm or flooding anywhere.

“I’m pleading with you, when rain is falling, don’t pile your refuse inside canals or build on waterways. We know natural disaster can be difficult to prevent, but some of them are manmade and we have to avoid them.

Officials of SEMA will soon go out to embark on enlightenment for you on how to prevent disasters”. The Director General, NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, sympathised with the affected communities, charging the local governments to be more proactive in sensitising the residents on Disaster Risk Reduction Policy of government that could avert reoccurrence of this sordid scenario.

The DG, who spoke through Ekiti NEMA’s Head of Operations, Mrs Kofoworola Soleye, charged the residents to key into the existing insurance policy for disaster management that could serve as indemnity if their property is damaged.

The General Manager, Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Oludare Asaolu, said the palliatives given were to assuage the feelings of the victims, saying the government will soon unveil better and pragmatic actions to bail them out of their current situations.

The general manager disclosed that the distribution further testified to the fact that Oyebanji is running a populist government that has sympathy and passion for the poor citizens.

Relocation of market to avert regular accidents The government also promised to relocate Iworoko Market in order to prevent constant accidents in the area, which shares the same territory with the Ekiti State University (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti.

The deputy governor gave this pledge while receiving stakeholders from the Iworoko community, led by the Regent, Princess Bolanle Ogundola, who visited her in her office in Ado Ekiti.

Moral support

She gave the assurance that the government will expedite action on the installation of a new Alaworoko as the stool had been vacant since 2019, following the demise of Oba Aladejana, in order to attract development to the town.

Afuye lamented the recurring cases of deaths of traders and other citizens at Iworoko Market, due to persistent road crashes, saying such sordid scenarios would soon be reversed.

The deputy governor also disclosed that Oyebanji is committed to safeguarding the lives of the people, adding that the request for the relocation of the central market causing persistent carnages was long overdue.

“Let me sympathise with you on behalf of Governor Biodun Oyebanji, on the deaths of your indigenes, who were killed in road accidents that occurred inside the market. I think it had occurred almost four times in five years. This is unacceptable,’’ she said.

Adding, “I learnt that the House of Assembly had passed a resolution advising that the market should be relocated, which further signified how significant the relocation is.

“I will convey your message to Governor Biodun Oyebanji and I know something will be done urgently to salvage the situation”.

Appeal

On the request by the regent and her delegation for the installation of a new Alaworoko, whose stool had been vacant for over five years, Afuye, cautioned the community against resorting to frivolous legal actions that could stall the selection process.

This is as she charged them, saying, “Go and do your homework very well, we are ready for you. I learnt that there was controversy over the Iworoko Chieftaincy Declaration.

This will be streamlined and the correction will be done very soon”. In their submissions at the parley, both the town’s regent, Princess Bolanle Ogundola and President, Iworoko Progressive Union, Engineer Tajudeen Fatayo, bemoaned how 15 persons were killed when a truck rammed into the market in 2019.

On the seeming delay in the installation of a new traditional ruler, the regent appealed to the government to dismantle all obstacles preventing the emergency of a new king and install a substantive monarch, so that she can reunite with her family.

Speaking extensively on the market relocation, Fatayo, said: “Just recently, two people died when a vehicle somersaulted inside the market. Sadly enough, four fatal accidents had happened inside the market within five years apart from minor ones”.

Fatayo stated that the community had taken copious actions by identifying a site where the market can be relocated, but expressed resentment at how a family within the town was serving as a stumbling block, by claiming owner – ship of the parcel of lands owned by the community for ages.

Rule of law

According to him, “We want the government to call this family to order. How can they be claiming ownership of every land in Iworoko Ekiti even when they are not the owners of the town? They are even dividing the town into two because of their interest in autonomy.

All these are causing disunity and government must intervene to safe our community from crisis”. Fatayo also made passionate appeal to the government to look into cases of land encroachment rearing its ugly heads on the land belonging to Iworoko Community High School, to safeguard the town’s heritage in education sector.