A notorious neighbourhood roadside market in Area 1, suspected to have provided cover to stranded criminal elements, was on Tuesday dislodged by the City Sanitation taskforce of the Federal Capital Territory (FCTA).
The enforcement operations carried out by a combined team of several security agencies, the Development Control team and the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), was said to be part of measures to restore sanity to that part of the city center.
Speaking to Journalists after the operations, the Director, Department of Development Control, Muktar Galadima who led the taskforce, said the operation also included dismantling illegal car dealers who have taken over pedestrian walkways within the Area 1 residential district.
Galadima noted that while the notorious roadside market will never be allowed to reconvene, all the vehicles that were impounded have been taken into custody by the enforcement squad of the Directorate of Road Traffic Service (DRTS).
According to him, while FCTA wants to integrate the informal economic forces, especially the petty traders and micro entrepreneurs, the environmental health and safety will not be compromised.
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Galadima also disclosed that the administration was working towards providing a permanent solution to open grazing of cattle within the city center.
He further disclosed that plans were underway to provide a well-planned alternative informal market for genuine petty traders who were affected by the cleaning exercise.
He said, “this exercise is a continuation of ongoing city sanitation and automating the hygiene of the Federal Capital City (FCC).
“We are going to consider the petty traders and review some of those policies to see how they can fit in best, because they are also contributing to economy of the city.
“The issue of cattle is discussed at a higher level, where a permanent grazing reserve will be provided by the FCT Administration, in such a way that they will never run across the city.”
