Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has commenced allocation of shops in the newly built ultra modern King’s market in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
This is in fulfillment of promises he made to the indigenes about ensuring that the shops will be made available before the end of his tenure.
During the distribution which held at the market’s premises, Governor Fayose deployed an open ballot system in which traders chose a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ tag and the one who chooses ‘yes’ becomes the winner. He said the system guarantees fairness and transparency.
He further disclosed that each shop to be distributed on the ground floor would be sold for N200,000 while price for shops on other floors would be announced to prospective buyers later.
Governor Fayose said the shops on the ground floor is targeted at small scale traders while other floors would house big scale traders including boutiques, appliances stores amongst others.
He also urged that those the ballot favour must pay the required amount within 7 days so as not to lose the opportunity.
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Commenting on a possible sabotage of the allocation by the incoming administration, Governor Fayose assured that adequate legal protection and proper documentation would be made for buyers to frustrate such development.
Those who were fortunate to win the ballot praised the governor for ensuring a level playing ground that gave them the lifetime opportunity to earn the shops.
Speaking with newsmen during the allocation, Fayose said: “We used this as an opportunity for our people to benefit from government. When we were demolishing the old market we gave our word that we would ensure these people get the shops first.
“The only thing we can do to ensure that is to create a level playing ground having a system in which the people come to pick from the options of No and Yes. If you pick yes, then you have won.
“We insisted that the shops at the basement must be for the ordinary citizens who are selling simple things like pepper, food stuffs and such like.
“We will go as far as we can go. It is not all about commissioning it is about. At this stage, the project is over 90 percent completed. It can be seen by the ordinary man on the street that Fayose has done this.
“When you want to talk about being commensurate with what we have put into the project we would have sold the shops for N500,000 but where will they get such money for?
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“We are a government supporting the people by giving them an opportunity to create wealth themselves.
“My tenure expires on October 16, 2019 and I will do everything within the mandate given to me by the people.
“Anybody who deny these people their right of place and their benefits, doesn’t love them. Our government will ensure that the people who have got these shops are protected under the law and do proper documentation. We will indemnify them to ensure nobody takes their right from them, ” he said.