Traders, workers stranded as FCTA taskforce demolish Area 11 Mini market
When traders and employees of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) arrived at work Monday morning, they discovered bulldozers from the FCT Ministerial Taskforce on city sanitation tearing down a mini-market on land belonging to the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) Area 11 near the FCT Administration secretariat.
During the ‘city clean up’ demolition operation, traders, largely food vendors, told journalists that the taskforce team had given them three months to vacate the area, but they were still waiting for the administration to provide them another location.
Rafat Mohammed, a trader, expressed concern about finding a place to start her business: “This is troubling; where would I go and start?” Before the demolition, the government is obligated to give us with an alternative location,” she complained.
Malam Ibrahim Lawal, a trader and leader, expressed his outrage over the situation by admitting that the FCT Administration had given them a three-month notice, but it was not yet time.
“I feel extremely horrible because we were given three months but it is not up to the three months,” Lawal explained. We followed up on the matter until late last week, and the persons that arrived stated they were sent by the minister, while others claimed the minister was unaware of the demolition. He stated, “The minister promised us land, but we have yet to see it.”
After the exercise, Ikharo Attah, the Minister of FCT’s Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection, and Enforcement, explained to journalists that the area near the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) has created a nuisance in the region.
He claims that demolishing the illegal constructions will restore sanity to the region, which has been transformed into a mini-market in violation of the master plan.
“This location is causing problems in Area 11; it began as a little eatery, evolved into a market, and has now evolved into a severe threat.
“The actions on this particular plot of land have escalated to the point where the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Mohammad Bello, has commanded that we clear the area; such illegality will not be tolerated. Before we came, we gave them notice.”
After the cleanup, Attah stated that the site belonged to the National Council for Women Societies (NCWS), and that the council will decide what to do with the plot.
“It is a legitimate plot of property but has been turned into an unlawful market,” said a diner at the scene, Charles Olili, adding that the restaurant was the only neighbouring restaurant with reasonable food. However, he noted that the government has the ability to decide what is beneficial for the people.
