By Sarah NEGEDU
Business owners plying their trade along the Karmo and Dei Dei road corridor have been served a 24 hour notice to vacate the premises or lose their wares to bulldozers from the Federal Capital Territory Administration.
This is as the Department of Development Control of the FCT Administration said it has marked over 500 structures for demolition at the illegal market.
The Sector Monitor and Assistant Director in the department, Garba Jibril, who led a team, on Monday, to serve the final notice, said the affected owners had earlier been served with several notices.
Jibril added that the Director of Development Control, Mr Mukhtar Galadima had held a sensitisation meeting with the stakeholders.
He explained that demolishing the illegal structures was necessary because they constitute nuisance on the road in addition to heavy traffic, especially on market days.
He added that their activities were equally emitting environmental hazards, which the FCT Administration frowns at.
The team lead also disclosed that the FCTA had awarded a contract for the construction of Life Camp – Dei-Dei Road, but added that the traders’ continuous stay on the road corridor was preventing the contractors from moving to site.
According to him, the 24-hour notice is not to be played with and those who refused to comply will have themselves to blame.
He also said that the traders have been asked to move to the designated market called Karmo Market, adding that the market was fully developed and equipped with necessary facilities.
“But the traders have been reluctant to move. We have had several meetings with the relevant stakeholders including traditional leaders in the area to get them to move but they remained adamant.
“We equally held a meeting with the traders and the new market operators, who promised to give the traders some incentives to be able accommodate them in both the informal and the main shops.
“We are hoping that after the demolition, there will be a successful relocation from the road corridor to the main market. This will not only maintain a serene environment, but also ensure free flow of traffic in the area,” he said.
