The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has warned marketers across the city to desist from trading on road shoulders and corridors or their items would be confiscated.
Mr Ihkaro Attah, Chairman of the FCTA Ministerial Taskforce on Traffic Management, issued the warning during an inspection of Nyanya Market, road shoulders and corridors on Wednesday in Abuja.
Attah disclosed that the traffic management team would confiscate items and properties of defaulters, adding that any property confiscated would be taken to the court.
He explained that the traffic management team would ask the court to grant permanent forfeiture of whatever items or properties confiscated.
“And if we are able to get the court injunction from the judge, then we will likely distribute the items be it clothes or food items to orphanages and centre for persons living with disabilities.
“The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) is warning traders across the city to desist from selling on road shoulders, road corridors and roadside.
“That is one worrisome thing that we have observed and as the Chairman of the FCT Ministerial Taskforce on Traffic Management, I know that the FCT Minister Malam Muhammad Bello is not taken the issue of trading on road shoulders and corridors very lightly.
“Worrisome is the fact that in some areas like Nyanya, Karu site, Dutse Alhaji Area, Kubwa by the NNPC junction and some other very busy roadside, people have converted the roadside and shoulders into the market.
“It is completely unacceptable and is being heavily resisted because is grossly inappropriate in Abuja,” Attah said.
He said that the taskforce had throughout the night cleared the Nyanya market and deployed personnel in the morning to prevent traders from selling on road shoulders.
“If you look at Nyanya today, being the market day is completely clean, the road is clear and we are going to be enforcing that.
“We really have to make strong appeal to the royal fathers to support us because all of the people in the market have cultural inclination.
“The one at Karu and that Dutse Alhaji have the cultural inclination and each of the markets are under the supervision of traditional rulers appointed by the palace.
“Particularly at Nyanya we are very worried that even the palace of the Chief of Nyanya every Wednesday is converted to market to the point that they even sale at the entrance of the palace.” He added.
Attah said the traffic management team would adopt drastic measures to stop trading on road shoulders, noting that the market had its environment and people would not be allowed to sell on the road.
Zainab Sa’id
