.By Bode Durojaiye .

Unless the Oyo State Government urgently address the deplorable conditions of the Akesan ultra modern market , collapse of building complexes is imminent .

Three years after reconstruction , the popular market is a day and night one where varieties of items, especially consumables, are sold.

The market was rebuilt with a number of developments — including Seyi Makinde, Oba Adeyemi and Olu Afolabi complexes comprising of 691 both open and lock shops, warehouses , a police post, clinic, two car parks, and a cold room.

Virtilually all buildings at the market’s complexes were being threatened by water seepage, as roofing sheets were blown off by heavy rainstorm, thus making the building’s waterlogged and resulting in problems like rusting and internal leakages of the buildings .

It was learnt that despite repeated appeals by the affected traders to authorities concerned, especially the supervising Oyo East Local Government for rehabilitation, no action has been taken till now.

Successful efforts to contact the Executive Chairman of the Local Government , Honourable Sola Oluokun, on mobile phone was not responded to .

Since the commissioning of the the ultra modern market, its occupants are yet to benefit from facilities provided , Inspite of colloidal amount of money paid to the coffers if the Local Government before either lick.or open shops were located , and annual charges currently paid by occupants .

Traders who were officially allocated open and kick up shops transact their businesses in the market with stress and discomfort .

For instance, the market is yet to be electrified let alone connected to the national grid.

The Nigeria Police post constructed in the market is yet to function , as traders engage services of local security outfits
to protect their lives and property in the market .

The ultra modern market opens for businesses at 8 am and closes by 730 pm on daily basis.

Notwithstanding the services of private security outfits engaged by the angry traders , some lock up shops are still being burgled , while hoodlums are having field days extorting the traders.

Furthermore, investigation revealed that the inevitable taking over of the management by the local government secretariat with traders remitting market levies to the government , since tenure of the last administration, was said to have made it susceptible to practices inimical to the hitherto orderly manner in which the market had been run.

However, it was eulogies galore at the market where 20 solar streetlights provided by a federal lawmaker representing Oyo Central Senatorial District , Senator Dr. Yunus Abiodun Akintunde , through the Federal Constituency projects , were presented to the elated traders and occupants for use use in the market , through the Iyaloja of Oyo , Chief Mrs Adepeju Bakare.

Iin her remarks on behalf of traders and occupants in the market, shortly after the presentation of the solar streetlights by a personal side to Senator Akintunde , Mr Biodun Adeyemo, Chief Mrs Bakare, described Senator Akintunde as “a distinguished Senator and gentleman who has a very high standard of personal integrity and conduct himself in a disciplined and ethical manner at all times”.

“Dr. Yunus Akintunde is an effective and trustworthy Federal legislator who is good at listening and feeling the pulse of his people.

“Senator Dr. Yunus Akintunde is really committed and have the political will, dogged commitment and relentless resilience to keep serving his constituents”.

The Iyaloja of Oyo thanked Senator Akintunde for the support and interest in the market and the occupants in general, saying that such laudable gesture would further complement the Oyo State Government unalloyed commitment towards improving socio economic lives of the people of the pace setter State.