FCTA Shuts Olajumoke Akinjide Market Indefinitely
Due to severe criminal activity in the market, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Monday indefinitely shut Olajumoke Akinjide Market in Dutse-Alhaji, Abuja.
Comrade Ikharo Attah, Senior Special Assistant to FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, who led the enforcement, bemoaned the severity of the violations, which included offensive garbage dumping, attachment at multiple corners, and non-distilled drains.
In Attah’s words, “The indefinite closure of Olajumoke Akinjide Market Dutse-Alhaji was due to extreme contraventions which we have noticed since last week, very offensive refuse which is not properly collected, so much attachment at several corners, the drains not distilled, the drains were like dump site and while we shut down the Dutse-Alhaji market, the Olajumoke Akinjide market managers assured us that they would clean theirs but sadly throughout the weekend they spent it in trading even on Sunday.
“They had a real market day on Sunday, so when we arrived, we found that nothing significant had been accomplished. As instructed by FCT Minister Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, we had to shut down the market until the environmental issues, the illegal attachment, refuse collection, building violations, and distilling the drain are resolved.
“And when next we come here and we are convinced they have done the needful we will to reopen it.
“But they assured us that they want to start the work now and they will be done quickly and we will come and check it for reopening but for now the market is closed indefinitely.
“They just have to start working, clean the drainage and remove all attachments . They know the carrying capacity as approved by Development Control.
“It is unacceptable that all the staircases, there are all attachments , untill they are removed the market remain closed”.
Speaking on the main Dutse-Alhaji market, he commended them for making the market habitable,
“You can see the main Dutse-Alhaji market coming in their numbers to clean their shops and environment, in preparatory to tomorrow reopening of their market”, he said.
Also, the Secretary FCTA Command and Control Centre, Peter Olumuji decried the increase in crime rate in the market.
He said, “Aside from the environmental issues that we noticed in the market, the crime rate is gradually increasing, structures that criminal elements can stay and hide are being put on ground. And some of them even sleep over in these make shift attachments.
“Shop owners have been complaining about thefts, part of what we are doing is to remove all those hidden places and attachment, there are reports of vandalization of cars, stolen phones among many others”.
One of the shop owners who does not want her name mentioned accused the management and Executive of the market, of selling the illegal spaces to petty traders and collecting money from them.
More so, Chigozie, a shop owner in Dutse-Alhaji main market commended the FCTA for the clean up exercise, appealled to the administration to provide an alternative space for the petty traders in the market.
Saying, “I think the work done is nice and we appreciate the work.
“We depend on each other to progress , we want to appeal to the government to look for space for petty traders in the market,maybe at the back. This will help the owners of the shop to progress.
“The government can use the empty spaces for them. For the front it is not okay”.
Mrs. Lydia Ineji, a staff of Bwari Area Council said, “The market is clean now there is access road. This is going to affect a lot of people because this is where they get their daily bread.
If they can get a space for petty traders we will appreciate it”.
