Consequence to the gradual resurgence of traffic build up along Dutse Alhaji road by the market, authorities of the FCT Administration over the weekend shut down the market for general clean up and renovation.
The move was informed by the gradual return of traffic to the area which was said to have been caused by lack of parking space inside the marked, and has been converted into illegally attached shops.
Part of activities of the enforcement exercise included general clean up of the market premises, distilling of its drainage systems and removal of all make shift shops, popularly known as attachment, which took every available space.
The team also cleared the market of broken wooden tables and benches used in blocking passage ways; heaps of littered polythene materials like plastics and nylon papers; as well as stones and general refuse.
All the makeshift shops fastened to walls of the main shops and the others nailed into the ground on walk and drive ways were all removed, assembled and burnt to ashes.
The perimeter fencing of the market earlier built by the current FCT Administration, about two years ago, was also given a face lift as it was all painted, besides leveling up of erosion affected portions of the market.
Also, the team, which arrived the market in the early hours of Saturday, constructed two beautifully giant gates, renovated the fence and installed them at the entrance and exit of the market, replacing the ones that were vandalized and stolen.
Senior Special Assistant to FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Comrade Ikharo Attah who led the Dutse Alhaji team explained to journalists that his principal, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello was determined to keep the market clean at all times, and ensure its operation does not impede smooth traffic flow along the road thereby causing road users hardship and pain.
Ikharo said:”We want them to know that they cannot have attachments in the markets because that makes it difficult for seamless movement and for cars to come in, and thereby force people to the main roads to block the road for road users to pass freely and suffer them in the process.
“We have been here continueously for this. The FCT Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello who has taken this market as a dear project has tasked us to keep this market under check and keep the road corridor very free.
“He (Bello) was the one who fenced this beautiful market and has done so many work here putting up the gate, which was broken and stolen.
“Today, we are restoring the gate, painting the fence and carrying out general renovation and clean up work.
“We could not have achieved this much with the market on, so we had to close it in partnership with Bwari Area Council to enable us clean it thoroughly in and out.
“All our team from the Abuja Environmental Protecrion Board (AEPB), Department of Development Control and all others had free chance to work that is why you can see the market wearing a different beautiful face just as the Minister wants it to look.”
Commenting on the Olajumoke Akinjide section of the Market, which was still unkept at the time of interview, the SSA assured that his men would return on Monday for another round of cleaning, revealing that there was equally serious firts and illegalities to be corrected at this market.
“We will go back to the Olajumoke Market in Dutse. We never knew the extent of the illegality at that market. We saw it and together with the Bwari Area Council, represented by the Council Secretary, Hon. Eli, we will get back there and purge it very soon.
“Hopefully by Monday morning, because we cannot be doing clean up when they are selling since it is so crowded. We therefore asked the traders to join us on Monday morning to clean up the market.”
Advising the traders and buyers to use an alternative market, located near the Army Housing Scheme, Ikharo assured them that the alternative market was of superb quality and one of the best which was visited and endorsed by the FCT Minister.
Secretary, Bwari Area Council, Kadanya Peter Eli who spoke on behalf of the Council reiterated the readiness of his council to work in synergy with the FCTA and traders to ensure the market was cleaned in line with the directive of the Minister.
Eli pledged the commitment of Bwari Area Council to clean up exercises of other markets in the FCT, particularly those within the council.
An Assistant Director in charge of Operation with the AEPB, Kaka Bello assured that his men were on ground to ensure total clean up of not just the market but also other areas.
He recalled that the team had, two years ago, cleared the road corridor which paved way for the road expansion and fencing, which he noted, has greatly reduced the hitherto hydra headed witnessed by commuters playing that road.
Another speaker, Manager of the market, Sunday Marcus, commended the taskforce and the FCT Minister for working hard to clean up the market from time to time.
Pledging the continued collaboration of all traders of the market, Marcus urged his colleagues to always keep to the rules regulating operation in the market, even as he disclosed that they would set aside a day for general sanitation of the market weekly.
One of the affected makeshift shop owners, Linus Okoronkwo, popularly known as PRO, decried high cost of buying or renting shops in the market and appealed for a rather better arrangement of incorporating the attachments inside the market to enable the poor also have access to FCT markets to trade for survival.
In another development, some villagers and hoodlums at Magaji PE community under Jabi District in Abuja, vehemently prevented the official of the FCT Administration’s Department of Development Control from removing illegal buildings under high tension in the area.
The villagers comprising young men, women and the old turned out in large number angrily and vowed that if the official of FCT insist to go ahead and remove the buildings they will stone them to dead.
Sensing the trouble and tension that was already heightened up in the area, the officials of Development Control Department along with few security men tactically withdrew from the area in odet to avoid total breakdown of law and order.
Reacting to the development, the director of the department, Tlp. Mukhtar Galadima, described the situation as very unfortunate and completely unacceptable by the FCT Administration.
He explained that the department earlier issued a vacation noticed to those who occupying illegal structures built under high tension in Magaji PE community.
Galadima stated that by the rules and regulations of Urban and Regional Planning and Abuja Master Plan, the department would not allow any building under the high tension, noting that the whole essence of government was to protect lives and properties.
” It is really unfortunate what happened here today and we decided to tactically withdrew to avoid causing more chaos and crisis.
” So the best thing for us is to withdraw from the exercise pending when tension is down and then we adequately prepared then we can go back and do what is necessary.
” The operation is part of our weekend programme activities, where we sanitise the city particularly where we believe there are issues of security challenges or issue of hygiene and other aspects of urbanisation, so we try to move in.
” We have done that at Apo, some part of resettlement centre B and other parts of the city. Even last week we came here and started the operation but because time was against us we move out and decided to return today.”
The director stated that the department was not trying to be high handedness rather making efforts to save lives and protect properties of citizens.
” One fundamental issue that people should know is that it not because we are high handedness rather we are trying to save lives and protect properties because right over the village is high tension cable that passed over the village.
” And there are some building under the high tension which we try as soon as possible to remove them under the tension so that is what we intended to do this morning.
” But unfortunately the occupants of the house under the high tension both indigenes and none indigenes mobilize and try to challenge the authority but what needs to be done must be done.
” The essence of government is to protect lives and properties and by our rules and regulations we are not to allow any building under high tension we will do what is to be done and we will definitely do it.”
Galadima revealed that when next the department would go back to remove the buildings under high tension it would put adequate security and logistics arrangements.
” We earlier issued vacation notice to them and we even call the Head of the village for a meeting so that we engage them and tell them why we are doing the operation.
” We are not going to removed the indigenous community what we are removing is the buildings under the high tension and threes that are becoming high out for criminals in the area.”
