JUST IN: Oyo Lawmaker, Hon Abiodun Babalola Donates N250,000 As ‘Immediate Relief’ To Victims of Orita-Aperin Market Inferno

…Urges Govt to Support Affected Traders

The lawmaker representing Ibadan Northeast Constituency 1 at the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon Abiodun Babalola has donated the sum of Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N250,000) to victims of Orita-Aperin Market Inferno.

The lawmaker made the donation on Thursday after he inspected the scene of the inferno around 1am on Tuesday after he was alerted about the disaster.

According to the House Committee Chairman on Transportation, Hon Babalola said the cash support was for immediate palliative to the affected traders.

In a related development, Hon Abiodun Babalola on Thursday during plenary on the floor of the Assembly, urged the state government to provide relief materials to the victims of the fire disaster at Orita Aperin market in Ibadan Northeast Local Government Area of the state.

The lawmaker said providing relief materials to the victims would not only cushion the effects of the fire disaster on them but would also improve their standard of living.

This was contained in a motion moved by him and titled
“URGENT NEED FOR OYO STATE GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE SUCCOR FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE FIRE OUTBREAK AT THE ORITA-APERIN MARKET AND TURN THE ENORMOUS LAND WASTE IN THE AXIS INTO REVENUE SOURCE”

The motion reads:

The House:
“Notes the unfortunate fire incident of Monday, 29th January, 2023 which gutted half of the age-long Orita-Aperin Market. The fire which started around 12 mid-night and grew into a wild inferno that consumed properties and goods worth millions. Market men and women woke up to count their losses as their means of livelihood had been reduced to ashes.

“Further notes that four years ago the people of this same market suffered similar experience which left them at the mercy of the Government and well meaning philanthropist to recoup their loses. The effort made by Fire Services of Oyo State to quickly rescue the situation was hampered by the traffic log jam at cross Junction of Aremo -Adekile, Bere-Elekuro , Omowumi Olorunsogo and Adesola.
Aware that Orita-Aperin market is situated close to a humongous dumpsite. This situation is unbefitting of a market, particularly, in the heart of Ibadan.

“The structural plan of Orita-Aperin market which is seated on, almost, Three thousand Hectares of land at the heart of Ibadan metropolis is a potential wealth laying untapped. A restructuring of the market plan is indeed overdue and a conscious effort by government to look into this proposed restructuring will address many problems bedeviling this area of the State. In the immediate, restructuring of the Orita-Aperin Market would put a stop to the frustrating log-jam that characterized Orita-Aperin cross section linking Aremi-Omowumi-Elekuro on a daily basis and in the long run become a major revenue source for the Government.
Further aware that aside from the environmental hazard that such dumpsite causes for the people in that area, it is an eyesore that should not be in the heart of a city.

” In addition, the area has remained a base for thieves, hoodlums and miscreant perpetrating criminal activities on the daily bases. Despite this situation, the Government is required to look into the potentials of the this area, the population and the land mass in particular.
Concerned that Orita-Aperin requires an international market that has modern facilities, modern car parks and more. From Bere to Amuloko, one would work about 15km without a single car park in sight. The revenue which this area could provide for the State Government is very huge. It is high time that the government put permanent measures in place to forestall future fire occurrences, look into the creation of an international market, and create a revenue-generating car park at Orita-Aperin.

“Resolves to urge the Executive Arm of Government:
through State Emergency Management Authority (SEMA) to provide relief for the victims of the fire outbreak at Orita-Aperin and grant soft loans to put them back on their feet; and
to turn Orita-Aperin into a modern market and parks with modern facilities.”