The Department of Development Control in the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, has served a quit notice on ‘Ya Kasuwa’ market along the N16 road corridor in Gwarinpa, Abuja, Nigeria’s Capital City, saying they must quit latest by Wednesday as clearance operations would commence on Thursday.
Director of the department, Mukhtar Galadima, gave the order during a meeting with stakeholders, including representatives of the traders union.
He said contract for the full scope development of the arterial road had since been awarded by the FCT Administration and that the contractors had been engaging the traders since last September but that the traders kept asking for more time, a development he said could no longer be tolerated.
According to him, the timeframe for the contract had since been eaten into by the traders’ refusal to quit, saying if the contracted is not executed as scheduled, the cost of materials would keep rising and could lead to demands for contract variation, which is against the policy of the present Administration.
He said; This meeting is basically to inform the traders occupying the N16 road corridor because the last time they were served notices, but they said they were not fully briefed or informed and were not sure if the notice was authentic.
“We want to tell them that yes, the FCT Administration gave out this contract from Ring Road 2 to Ring Road 3. The Ring Road 2 starts from Katampe Extension to Life Camp to Jabi Mbora up to Galadima roundabout, and in between, there is Ring Road 3.
“The contract has been awarded, and we are calling on all those people doing business on the corridor to leave. All structures existing in that corridor are to be removed. We are calling on you traders and others there to please cooperate with us. Start removing your valuables before we come there.
“We are coming to clear the place. We are giving you up till Wednesday to clear your things. By Thursday, we are going to start, “he added.
According to him, the contractors had begun discussions with the traders since September 2023 and that “granting further extensions would eat into the contract time which could lead to contract variations and more costs.”
On request by the local council revenue collector for a new market site, the director said since markets are under the councils, it is incumbent in them to look within and allocate a new market to the affected traders.
Secretary of the traders union, who gave his name as Mohammed, said they had operated the market for over 20 years, saying he would convey the government’s message to the traders.
“We have been there over 20 years ago, and now it has come to our notice that the road is to be constructed. We are grateful to have been invited, and ours is to now go and sensitize our people so that the traders can look elsewhere. We are asking for more time as we are already concluding plans to relocate,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the department has pulled down a structure within an estate in the Karmo district for obstructing a flood plain.
