Ondo trade fair demolition: Give us more time to relocate our businesses, business owners tell govt

Following the quit notice issued by the Ondo state government to occupants of the State Trade Fair Complex situated along Igbatoro road, in the state capital, some occupants have appealed to the state government to extend the 14 days ultimatum to a period of three or six months in order to give them ample time to find a suitable place to relocate their businesses.

Speaking on behalf of the occupants, the General Secretary of the association of Registered Business Owners in the complex, Mr Segun Akinwande, said the association identified with the state government initiatives in giving the complex a facelift but said the short notice given to business owners is not welcomed.

Akinwande said, “though the state government has expressed its readiness to move us to other parts in Akure until the complex is completed while they will also give the present occupants priority to move back when completed, but the quit notice issued was too short a time.”

He advocated for a period of three to six months to enable the occupants of the complex to move out, commending the government for its readiness to pay back rents already paid by the occupants and business owners within the complex.

The state government through the Ministry of Commerce, Industries and Cooperative Services met with business occupants of the complex to intimate them with government intention to demolish the place and then build a state of the art complex to generate more revenue for the state owing to the location of the trade fair complex.

The Commissioner in the Ministry, Mrs Lola Fagbemi, had told the business owners within the complex that government will refund their money for this year’s rent while they will be moved to the industrial park, and mechanic village among other areas in Akure to continue their business seamlessly.

However, the occupants kicked against the development, demanding more time to move out of the complex while the government informed that the investors are ready to commence work immediately.

But Akinwande said, “the state government has assured that they are not chasing us out of the complex but to give a facelift to the complex and build a world standard complex to accommodate our business. Government is willing to give a considerable extension without having an issue and we must embrace this to usher development to the state.

“They have also assured us that occupants rent would be pay back and nobody would lose their rents. This shows that the government is sensitive to our plight, considering the economic downturn in the country. The government is looking at ways to cushion the effect on business owners concerning the evacuation order.”

He, however, assured the business owners that the state government is considering extention of the quit notice, despite the readiness of investors to commence work on the site, saying “we are ready to key into the state government plans to give the complex a befitting facelift for better business transactions.

He noted that the demolition of the Trade Fair Complex  would pave way for a befitting Central Business District in the state, and

assuring that they will cooperate with the state to ensure the complex meets global standard and to attract more investors to the state.

The state government, however, in a statement said, “our desire to turn the moribund Trade Fair Complex which had since transmuted to a criminals’ hideout into a fruit-bearing business hub remains unwavering.

“We shall engage all stakeholders, especially potential private investors to bring to fruition, our desires to wrought development on our people.

In the case of the alleged plan to demolish Shoprite, residents of the State are enjoined to confine this mischief replete with inaccuracy, to the dustbin. Shoprite, even as it remained the only known inherited investment, will rather be given a more befitting ambience beef-up.

“Instructively, Shoprite, without prejudice, serves as the precursor to the planned Central Business District which hosts the following: proposed Five Star Hotel, the novel Entrepreneurs’ Village, Revenue House, the envisaged Business Hub with varied degrees of luxuries, development comforts and others in the pipeline along that strait.

“Our plans for development, especially through credible investment drives shall remain on an enviable cruise throughout the tenure of the Rotimi Akeredolu -led administration. No amount of falsehood and blackmail will be given a chance to play any role.

“On our part, the present administration desires not to seek an unpleasant place in history as a conveyance belt to discourage investment and disincentive for development.

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