lagos—24 years after its demolition, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, yesterday commissioned and handed over the rebuilt Oyingbo market urging Lagosians to vote for a party that has a record of keeping its promises, like the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the coming general elections.

The highly modernized Oyingbo market, rebuilt on its original site in Ebute Metta, is now a four-floor structure with 270 lock up shops, 632 open shops, 48 open offices, three cold rooms, one fire service station, 66 parking spaces and 134 toilets.

Efforts to rebuild the market which has been in existence since 1938, has moved from one administration to the other. In 1991, it was demolished with plans to turn it into an ultra-modern market.

The then Chairman of the Mainland Local Government, Dr. Babatunde Larinde tried to rebuild it through partnership with the private sector inviting the late business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola to lay the foundation of the new market, who also promised to help them get the attention of the Nigerian Stock Exchange in raising needed funds for the project.

However, during his governorship campaigns around the state, the then Action Congress of Nigeria governorship candidate Mr. Babatunde Fashola in response to an appeal by the leader of the market, Alhaja Bushirat Balogun, appealed to assist in rebuilding the age-old market when voted into power.

Addressing an audience consisting of market men and women, government functionaries and business stakeholders as well as APC party supporters, at the site of the new structure, Governor Fashola recalled that the new market being handed over was a promise he made in 2007 when he was seeking election as the governorship candidate of the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

Among those who witnessed the handing over ceremony were, Chief of Staff, Mr. Lanre Babalola, Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Wale Hammed, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba, Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mrs. Sola Oworu, Commissioner for Establishment and Training, Mrs. Florence Oguntuase, Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, Special Adviser on Works, Engr. Ganiyu Johnson, Special Adviser on Health, Dr. Yewande Adeshina, Oba of Igbobi Sabe, Oba Adeniyi, State Chairman Community Development Committee(CDC), Alhaji Tajudeen Kadiri, Market Men and Women and other stake holders.