Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, has expressed frustration at the refusal of traders, who rented shops at the Ayegbaju International Market, Osogbo, to start trading at the market.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Commerce, Hakeem Okunade, said at a press briefing in Osogbo that traders had paid for 95 per cent of the shops but they preferred to be trading by the roadside by the traditional markets.
Okunade noted that it was worrisome that most traders refused to quit hawking on the streets and trading at awkward places despite the dangers they were exposed to by their actions.
He said, “This is a world standard market and it is better than most markets even in more advanced cities in the country, but traders are not coming. We have appealed to them and we have done all sorts of things but they are not coming.
“There is adequate security here; fire station is there; there are modern toilets and water with constant supply of electricity, but it is quite worrisome. The rent is N1,000 per month, so their refusal to come has nothing to do with the rent. Most of them paid for the shops and looked the shops up.”
As a way of promoting patronage of goods and services made in Osun State, the Project Coordinator, Mr. Martins Adenle, stated that there would be a three-day exhibition in the state starting from December 6, 2017.
Adenle added that the exhibition would be used to re-inaugurate the market with a view to driving traders and buyers to the market, which he said had almost become deserted.
He stated that Christmas carols would be held there and there would be children games and movie premier among other activities to drive human and vehicular traffic to the market.