…Bwari Council issues one-week vacation notice
By Stanley Onyekwere
Hundreds of aggrieved traders at the popular Mpape village market clashed with their colleagues allegedly working in synergy with authorities of the Bwari Area Council, Abuja through the instrumentality of Shape Ideas Project ltd, a private developer overseeing the ongoing remodelling of Mpape village of the market.
The clash occured at the weekend, when authorities of the Bwari Area Council in collaboration with the FCTA task team attempted to reclaim a section of the market reserved for the construction of a parking lot, fire and police station as part of the facilities for the market remodelling process.
It was observed that trouble started when leaders of those to be affected by the exercise exchanged heated banters with their colleagues cooperating with the government operatives to recover the said space, so as to pave way for the timely completion of the project.
While some aggrieved traders voiced their disapproval by chanting ‘we no go gree oh’, ‘we are not moving out without alternative place’; others resulted to releasing stones into the atmosphere, leading to a chaotic scene as people scampered for safety, thereby causing palpable tension in the high densely populated area.
However, it took the swift intervention of the security operatives that accompanied the task team, who dispersed the surging crowd, and prevented the situation from escalating further, even as nerves were calmed down upon hearing that the exercise was deferred to another time, to allow for an amicable resolution for a hitch-free exercise.
Speaking with newsmen in the area, Head of Logistics Bwari Area Council, Mr. Audu Amos said the idea of remodeling the market in Bwari area council was conceptualised in 2005 during the reign of Nasiru El’rufai (former FCT Minister) who approved it for development and remodeling.
Amos added that sometimes 2 years ago, when the ministerial taskforce cleared the place, because of security threats at Mpape, the Council was asked to go ahead and develop immediately.
He noted after the Council asked its partners to move in, suddenly, it discovered that traders who were trading temporarily on the space revered for police and fire stations as well as parking bay came with court injunctions, which the Council authorities went to court, and were able to vacate it.
He added that there are a lot of options for the would-be displaced traders, as there are facilities for ware houses and open air market activities in the place.
“As far as the Area Council is concerned, we are also ready to welcome them. Because they need us as much as we need them as we cannot develop the market and not have people to trade there.
“The chairman has called a meeting several times to look for a way forward and resolve this issue. But they are not forthcoming. If they are ready to come, we will be ready to welcome them.
“But the place should be cleared to pave way for what it is meant for, it is already congested, and has taken over the whole road. And you can see the volume of heavy duty equipment that traverse the area.
“Based on what I heard, we have given them 1 week. Today is Friday, and If they are willing to come up, we believe that by Monday or Tuesday, they should make an appearance to the office. And if they don’t come, we will still come and clear, so that peace may reign and there will be free flow of traffic”, he stressed.
Similarly, the CEO, Shape Ideas Project ltd, Dr. Mrs. Amunega Ajayi, said when the firm moved to the site to commence construction, the affected traders mainly those trading under make-shift structures built had pleaded that they be allowed to remain, pending when the space will be needed, then they would vacate for them to work.
This, Ajayi noted was a great the company made as they now went to court and insisting that they have a right in the modern market, with over 300 shops and an open market for petty traders.
According to her: “When we were given the allocation to come and work here, they came to me that they don’t have anywhere else to go, that we should just allow them to stay in the market. I said fine when we finish building shops, they should vacate the car park. Unfortunately, that was a great mistake that we made at that time.
“So, we called that we have finished building the market, but we need to build the police station, a hospital in the market, fire service office in the market and even the civil defense office, but they said no that we are in court.
