ILLEH (ESAN WEST) – An ultramodern market donated by Apostle Ehijele Unuayan for use by Illeh and its surrounding communities has been commissioned in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government of Edo State.
The market is complet with a water cistern which helps to open up the agrarian community for patronage. Commissioning the market on behalf of Governor Godwin Obaseki, Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu praised the private sector driven initiative of the Unuanyan which he said was geared towards the development of the immediate community and the state.
Praising the donor for his sense of social responsibility to the immediate community where he practices his religious calling, the Deputy Governor said: “This is the kind of collaboration government wants for development. This market would bring development, it is a modern market, wether it rains or not, the market women can carry on with their petty trade and be comfortable.”
Speaking on the private sector partnership, Shaibu upheld, “With this market, I am sure this would boost the economic resources of Esan West Local Government as the market is under it’s control. The people would trade and make money which would make poverty history. The local government would benefit from it due to the intervention of somebody who felt the need to make poverty history in the lives of the people.
I ask other people to contribute their quota in erasing poverty. In doing this, the issue of insecurity is also being dealt with. We need the collaboration of all. You can see the joy that is radiating here today as an individual has come to contribute his quota to the development of all. The local government and all those who do business here would have to do their best from now on to maintain the facility.”
Appreciating the donor he stated, “I thank you for your contribution not only to this community but to Edo State in general. You have been a man of honour and of progress and of vision. You are one man that has stood out for your love for community and for the growth of our people
I ask others to emulate you. This period is a time when we have to put everything in place to develop our communuty. Government alone cannot do everything we need to do to change our system. Without private sector driven individuals we cannot get to our destination.
We cannot leave everything to government. What the man of the cloth has done here today is a testimony to the fact that for us to have a stable and steady growth, we need to collaborate. This collaboration is what we are celebrating today.
I pray that others would join your virtue and gesture at putting God’s deposit in them to use at building not only our communities, our local government but the entire state which leads to building the country. This that you have done today obviously would have it’s multiplier effect as to reduce poverty in the environment.
We want people to join us as we in this government are progressives. Our governor does not speak too much, he is a man of few words, he believes in the ‘wake and see’ phenomena. Our being in government is to serve and make a difference in the lives of our people and write our names in gold like the celebrated Late Governor, Ambrose Folorunsho Alli who was able to touch the lives of the people through infrastructural development. Even years after his demise he is still remembered. That name is remembered more than all the riches in the world.
For us, we are determined to make a difference. We are determined to write our names in gold because our goal for joining politics is to make a difference. Life is only worth living only to the extent that it is used in the service of humanity. When you serve the people you obviously serve God. For us as a government we believe in God and his direction.”
The donor, Apostle Ehijele Unuayan said he undertook the project as a minister of the gospel because, “It is part of my social responsibility to contribute to the development of my immediate community through building a project where i setup my ministry.”
He nonetheless canvassed for water reticulated projects to be installed in the Illeh and surrounding communities to eradicate the perennial water problems and provision of access roads to link the community with other neighboring communities.
Chairman, Esan West, Hon. Ruth Osahon said, “At the local government we believe that it is a source of revenue to the local government. We also believe that what we are planning to do is to deploy more staff to the market who would be maintaining it. We also appreciate the Apostle for the amiable thing he has done for giving us this facility. We are grateful to him.”
An indigene of Illeh community, Mrs. Dorothy Emeantor said she was, “Very happy that we have a market in this community. Though we had a market before now, it was not really moving as people were not coming in. We pray that with the opening of this ultramodern market, people would be coming to buy crops and foodstuffs like garri, santana or yam from us at the market.”
