Traders Lament As FCTA Demolishes Market In Gwarinpa
The Tipper Garage Market that was razed down by fire in February has been demolished by the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s tax force.
But the traders were not relocated or given any alternative to continue their trades.
Advertisement
This is happening seven months after the section where traders sold their items was gutted by fire leading to loss of six lives and items worth millions of naira.
The market has two sections– one for traders dealing in food items and clothes among others; while the other section serves as a garage for tippers and sellers of building materials. It was located on 3rd Avenue and is arguably the largest market in Gwarinpa.
On Wednesday, men of the Nigerian Army, Air Force, Police, VIO and Federal Road Safety Corps stormed the markets to execute orders from the FCTA.
They demolished the kiosks and some block shops at the market, after which they gathered and burnt all the debris on Thursday.
Advertisement
“Some members of the tax force came warning that people who were blocking the road should evacuate immediately. They told us they were coming to work. But we did not know they were coming to demolish the market,” the chairman of the market, Usmaul Abdulahi, claimed in an interview.
According to eyewitness report, officials of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) came around 12pm and demolished the shops that encroached into the road.
However, the eyewitness said that at about 2pm on the same day, the AEPB Officials came back heavily armed around and started demolishing the rest of the market.
The FCT Minister of State, Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu had earlier told the traders of their possible relocation to a different place.
But Ramatu who visited the market on February 5, had assured the victims of the government’s assistance alongside the Federal Housing Development Authority.
Advertisement
Ramatu said, “We will sit together and see how we can bring support to those who have been affected as much sympathy to the family of the bereaved. But besides that, this also takes us to the very essence of town planning.
“In a city like the Federal Capital Territory, the number one city in the nation even witness a place so overcrowded in such a manner that does not befit a modern city. We have to sit down and look at the real drawing of Abuja together and see how other markets will also be upgraded and existing markets would be looked into historically to ensure that all these provisions are made.”
But the traders who lost their livelihood in February and were only trying to get back on their feet are still shocked at the sudden demolition which has doubled their losses.
Abdulahi said “They started to demolish the market by 2 pm on Wednesday. When they stormed the market, they said they were sent to demolish the market, but we pleaded with them to allow us to evacuate our goods, but they refused.
“A lot of goods were destroyed because some people did not succeed in evacuating few of their goods. They did not give us any notice except when they came on Tuesday,” he claimed.
He alleged that during their meeting with the minister in February, she had promised to relocate them after the fire outbreak.
Advertisement
“We have been negotiating for a new place, but they failed to fulfil their promise,” he added.
The market solicitor, Umar Abdul-Hameed, told THE WHISTLER that contrary to claim, the tax force gave them the chance to clear all their goods.
He explained that the market was there on temporary bases as the area had been mapped out for metro.
Abdul-Hameed said they are currently engaging the Federal Government on the issue.
Mr. Patrick who is a big dealer of cement at the other section of the market reserved for trucks admitted in a chat with THE WHISTLER that they were served a quite notice by the authorities far back in January 2021.
Patrick said, “I am evacuating the last of my five trailers of cement. I have not seen this kind of demolishing in my life where they came with Army, Navy, Police, FRSC and VIO officers. When they gave us quite notice in January. We negotiated with the authorities but it failed.
” We thought the quit notice was a joke until they started burning structures and asked us to evacuate.”
