By Stanley Onyekwere
For alleged extreme land use and environmental contraventions, the popular Olajumoke Akinjide shopping mall in Bwari Area Council of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has been shut down indefinitely.
Making this known yesterday, Senior Special Assistant to FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Comrade Ikharo Attah, decried the rate of extreme contraventions which include offensive refuse which is not properly collected, attachment at several corners, the drains that are not distilled.
Attah, who led the enforcement team, said the shut down was as instructed by the FCT Minister Malam Muhammad Bello, pending the time the environmental challenges in the market, the illegal attachments, refuse collection, building contraventions as well as distilling the drain are addressed.
“The indefinite closure of Olajumoke Akinjide shopping mall Dutse-Alhaji was because of 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, to clean it, the Olajumoke Akinjide market managers assured us that they would clean theirs.
“But, sadly throughout the weekend they spent it in trading, so we came here and discovered that nothing tangible was done and we had to shut it down as instructed by the FCT Minister Malam Muhammad Bello, pending the time the environmental challenges in the market, the illegal attachments, refuse collection, building contraventions as well as distilling the drain are addressed.
“And when next we come here and we are convinced they have done the needful we will 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”, he explained.
Speaking on the main Dutse-Alhaji market, the Minister’s aide commended them for clean up of the market.
“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 .
Similarly, Secretary FCTA Command and Control Centre, Peter Olumuji, who 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 report of vandalization of cars, phone stolen etc”.
Meanwhile, a shop owner who does 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.
For a shop owner in Dutse-Alhaji main market, who simply identified himself as Chigozie commended the FCTA for the cleanup, however, appealed to the administration to provide an alternative space for the petty traders in the market.
“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”, he said.
Also, a staff of Bwari Area Council, Mrs. Lydia Ineji, 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”.
