Abuja Scrap dealers seek enabling environment to operate

By Stanley Onyekwere

In the wake of recent upscale of demolition of notorious scavengers’ spots, the Abuja Association  of Scrap Dealers has urged the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Bello to provide more enabling environment for them to operate.

Making this point yesterday, Chairman of the Association, Sagiru Garba, pleaded with the FCT Minister to consider making a provision for the scrap dealers  to have  a genuine market where they will be carrying out their business activities.

Garba made the appeal when he led other officials of the  Association on a courtesy visit to FCT Ministerial Taskforce on City Sanitation in FCT Administration’s secretariat, in Area 11, Garki-Abuja.

This is coming on the heels of the recent intensive demolition of Apo-Dutse Panteka market by FCT Administration, in furtherance of its reinvigorated city sanitation exercise.

The Leader of the Scrap dealers, however, explained that ‘babanbolas’ are not members of scrap dealers and should not be identified as scrap dealers.

According to him, members of the association will always adhere to the FCT Administration extant laws  in maintaining sanity across the territory.

“Despite the loss we experienced during the demolition, we still remain law abiding citizens of the Country and submissive to the authority of the FCT.

“We have no business with scavengers (baban-bola) neither are we part of them. We are legitimate owners of scrap trading business, dealers in old cars and spare parts”, he stressed.

Responding, the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the minister of FCT, Comrade Ikharo Attah advised the scrap dealers  not to allow refuse collectors to stay where they are doing their business.

Attah said: “ I thank you all for the support that you have show to us before, during and after the demolition exercise, this is the first time that the victims will be coming to thank us for demolishing their property.

“The request you people have presented about a genuine scrap market we be taken to the minister, you people have requested for a permanent site for your business, It is a general believe that anywhere scrap dealers are you will see banbabola, so anywhere you are doing business don’t allowed them to come close. 

“You are dealing in scrap and second hand items, don’t ever allow refuse collectors to come near you, they wreck havock on the city, and the city is coming after them” he said.