By Sarah NEGEDU
Crisis is brewing at the popular Mpape village market, where different group of traders are accusing the other of conveying with authorities of the Bwari Area Council to takeover a portion of the market.
The groups alleged that the area council was trying to convert their space to other use, by using Shape Ideas Project ltd, a private developer overseeing the ongoing remodelling of Mpape village of the market.
The traders took matters to their hands over the weekend, when authorities of the Bwari Area Council through the FCTA task team attempted to reclaim a section of the market reserved for the construction of a parking lot, fire and police station as part of the facilities for the market remodelling.
Leaders of those to be affected by the exercise exchanged heated banters with their colleagues cooperating with the government operatives to recover the said space, allegedly slowing down remodelling process.
While some aggrieved traders voiced their disapproval others resulted to throwing stones, leading to a chaotic scene as people scampered for safety, thereby causing tension in the densely populated area.
However, it took the intervention of the security operatives that accompanied the task team, who dispersed the surging crowd, and prevented the situation from escalating further, even as the exercise was deferred to another time, to allow for an amicable resolution.
Speaking with newsmen, Head of Logistics Bwari Area Council, Mr. Audu Amos, said the idea of remodeling the market in Bwari area council was conceptualised in 2005 during the reign of Nasiru El’rufai (former FCT Minister) who approved it for development and remodeling.
Amos added that sometimes 2 years ago, when the ministerial taskforce cleared the place, because of security threats at Mpape, the council was asked to go ahead and develop immediately.
He noted after the council asked its partners to move in, suddenly, it discovered that traders who were trading temporarily on the space revered for police and fire stations as well as parking bay came with court injunctions, which the council authorities went to court and were able to vacate it.
He added that there are a lot of options for the would-be displaced traders, as there are facilities for ware houses and open air market activities in the place.
“As far as the area council is concerned, we are also ready to welcome them. Because they need us as much as we need them as we cannot develop the market and not have people to trade there.
“The chairman has called a meeting several times to look for a way forward and resolve this issue. But they are not forthcoming. If they are ready to come, we will be ready to welcome them.
“But the place should be cleared to pave way for what is meant for, it is already congested, and has taken over the whole road. And you can see the volume of heavy duty equipments applies to which is a risk to be by the road to trade.
“Based on what I heard, we have given them 1 week, and if they are willing to come up, we believe that by Monday or Tuesday, they should make an appearance to the office. And if they don’t come, we will still come and clear, so that peace may reign and there will be free flow of traffic”, he stressed.
On his part, the CEO, Shape Ideas Project ltd, Mrs. Amunega Ajayi, said when the firm moved to the site to commence construction, the affected traders pleaded that they be allowed to remain, pending when the space will be needed.
According to her, “When we were given the allocation to come and work here, they came to me that they don’t have anywhere else to go, that we should just allow them to stay in the market. I said fine when we finish building shops, they should vacate the car park. Unfortunately, that was a great mistake that we made at that time.
“So, we called that we have finished building the market, but we need to build the police station, a hospital in the market, fire service office in the market and even the civil defense office, but they said no that we are in court.
“The last time we went to court, they said they want a settlement with us. The judge said they should go and meet us for settlement, which they never did. They wanted us to stop work completely. But, on that day, the court vacated all orders to stop us from working. That was why we continued working in the site.”
One of the leaders of the aggrieved traders, who took the issue to court, Awwal Dogo, said though they were told at the court that their market allocations had expired, they obtained a court order to carry on their trading activities at the site pending the settlement of the matter.
“We were the ones local government gave allocation, we built our shops ourselves and at the end, local government said they want to collect the market, but we know we have our rights and document, so we took the matter to court.
“Three days after, we were back from the court, they brought task force to chase us away. I asked what we have done? It was not like they asked us for dialogue and we didn’t comply.
“But, now they said it’s dialogue they want, we are ready for that. They know our lawyer and we know their lawyer. We are ready to move out of that if that’s the conclusion of the court.”
On his part, former Chairman of the Mpape Village market, Shuaibu Baru, said they were duly notified of the ongoing remodelling of the market, the expiration of their temporary allocation, and the council refusal to renew such.
Baru, who noted that while most of them have been cooperating with the government and the private developer, a few traders have continued to take over any available space within and around the market, thereby making it very unsafe for business.
