Olorunda Market In Ona-Ara LG To Be Upgraded To World Class As World Bank, RAAMP, Partner Oyo Govt

-As Council Boss, Shaba Seeks Stakeholders’ Support

By Bode Akinbode, ibada

The Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) a world bank assisted project in conjunction with the Oyo state government is set to upgrade the Olorunda rural market in Ona-Ara local government area of Oyo State to international standard.

In his address at a stakeholders meeting held at the main Olorunda market, on Wednesday , the Executive Chiarman of Ona-Ara local government, Hon Sanusi Musibau Adesina popularly known as Shaba called for support from all the concerned individuals to ensure successful completion of the market.

Shaba further noted that Ona-Ara local government is the only local government picked in Ibadan metroplis to benefit for the RAAMP programme aimed at upgrading rural markets and providing access routes through construction of rural roads for easy movement of farm produces.

The other other local government that benefited from the RAAMP project according to Shaba are from other zones of the state.

Shaba who expressed displeasure over non availability of a standard market in Ona-Ara Local Government said he had to take advantage of the the RAAMP programme through the world bank to facilitate the upgrade of the Olorunda market for farmers to a world class market.

Stakeholders at the event which comprises, farmers, traditional chiefs and market leaders in the area, among others unanimously agreed on a proposed new name of Olorunda Ogunsola Aare Alasa Market as against Olorunda Market ,it’s former name.

Shaba in his words said “I give thanks to God almighty and to our State governor,’ Engr. ‘Seyi Makinde because the RAAMP in conjunction with the world bank can only embark on such project if the state government has fulfilled it’s own part of the bargain and I am optimistic that the governor has done it’s own part that is why the local government is about to benefit from the program.”

“When I came on board as the local government chairman, part of my vision is to construct a modern market in the local government. Ona-Ara is the only local government without a modern market out of the 11 local governments in Ibadanland and due to paucity of fund, I decided to write the Rural Accessibility and Marketing Project RAAMP, and many other NGOs including some agencies to help us with a construction of modern market in our local government, but I’m so happy today that RAAMP which embarks on upgrade of rural markets, got our letter and gave us positive response, they replied after which they came for inspection.”

“Though our market at Sawia was on my mind but after assessment of the council area by the RAAMP, they said that Sawia market is already located in urban area of the council and that we should suggest another market located in the rural community for them, that was when I then took them to Olorunda and after a while, sometimes last year, the returned to the local government and with the collaboration of the state government and the World Bank we were told that RAAMP organization is prepared to upgrade nine rural markets in Oyo state out of which only one was picked in Ibadanland which is our own Ona-Ara Local Government.”

“A stakeholders meeting was called and we showed the organization the land space of the market. They brought experts that will carry out the implementation. So, today RAAMP is here to show us how the structures that will be built in the market will look like and also to get feedback from all the stakeholders present at this gathering.

“We are here basically to discuss about every areas we want an adjustment to have been stated and and we are awaiting positive results from their Abuja headquarters for them to commence work.”

“It is a great achievement for Ona-Ara local government because it is going to be an international market where other states will be coming to patronize, we express our gratitude to the RAAMP, World Bank and the Oyo state governor for this laudable project in the local government.” Shaba said.

The council Boss also assured the project contractors of adequate security of lives and property during the cause of executing the project just as he also urged stakeholders to give all the needed support to enable them complete the project in due time.

He also promised to provide temporary shops for all the traders that will be displaced as a result of the development.

In an interview with newsmen, the
Acting State Coordinator for the Oyo RAAMP, Engr. Ekundayo Olufunke, said the project is the third phase of RAAMP, stressing that Oyo state was unable to participate in the first and second phase project known as the Rural Access and Mobility Project RAMP 1&2.

She said this is the third phase which is the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP ) which focuses mainly on roads linking markets
agricultural markets.

She further explained that the major purpose of the project is to reduce poverty among rural marketers and farmers.

Olufunke said, “The reason why we’re linking the roads from the farm to the market place as designed by this project is that we want to reduce poverty among rural marketers and our farmers, so there is a link road from their farm holdings to the market in order to ease movement of goods to the consumers because we believed that when the produces are evacuated and get to the consumers at the right time, they will buy it at low rate, the livelihood of the farmers will be improved.”

On the choice of Ona- Ara Local Government, the state coordinator for RAAMP said the market was picked due to it’s proximity and the impact it would have on the rural dwellers, adding that at least 60 open shops and 60 lock- up shops will be constructed with modern facilities in the market.

According to her, “the project is a World Bank funded project with counterpart funding from the state government. This will also attract the construction of road linking the proposed market as well as about six other road projects spanning
over 30 kilometers in the council area.”

“With the little funding from the world bank because of the current inflation, we might not be able to do the other road of over 30 kilometers in the first phase but might be done in the second phase of the project.”

She disclosed that the market construction would gulp about N1.2bn with a counterpart fund of 6% from the state government.

Representative of Bentley Adams Nigeria, the project consultant, Engr. Osho Taiwo said the company had carried out market survey, analysis and assessment before coming up with an appropriate design that will be of benefit to the market users.

He said the market was designed in line with world bank specification alongside with the demands of the market users after series of engagements with stakeholders in the community.

He further said that the proposed market would comprise blocks of 20 units of both single and double lock- up shops as well as open sheds, open grain selling area and livestock section.

He listed the facilities to be put in place in the market to include, internal road network with drainages, solar street lights, cold and dry storage facilities, water storage, fire station, sanitation facilities, toilets and bathrooms, car park among others.

Olorunda Market, is a rural market, where farmers from Ona-Ara local government usually sells their farm produces to people from the main city. The market is situated along the council Secretariat and it’s very close to various villages in the council area.