A major market in Abuja suburb has been shut down indefinitely by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Monday. over alleged illegalities in the market.
Senior Special Assistant to FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Mr. Ihkaro Attah who led the operation lamented the rate of alleged contravention which include incriminate dumping of refuse in the market.
Attah explained that the indefinite closure of Olajumoke Akinjide Plaza Dutse-Alhaji became necessary due to what he terms extreme contraventions noticed a couple of weeks ago.
He said very offensive refuse which is not properly collected oozes from several corners, adding that the drains were not distilled and like a dump site.
” 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 attachment, refuse collection 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,” he said.
The minister’s aide, however, commended traders at the main Dutse-Alhaji Market for cleaning the market.
“You can see traders at the main Dutse-Alhaji market coming in their numbers to clean their shops and the environment in preparation for the reopening of the market on Tuesday,” he said.
On his part, the Secretary FCTA Command and Control Centre, Mr Peter Olumuji, decried the increase in crime rate in the market.
” 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 makeshift attachments.
“Shop owners have been complaining about thefts, part of what we are doing is to remove all those hidden places and attachments,” he said.
