‘People depend on us’ — Traders protest planned demolition of market in Abuja

Traders in the UTC market at Garki, Abuja, have staged a protest over the planned demolition of the complex by the federal capital territory administration (FCTA).

During the protest on Tuesday, the traders expressed displeasure with Urban Shelter, the real estate company designated to undertake the proposed remodelling of the market.

Videos posted on social media showed the protesters carrying placards with various inscriptions such as, “Leave UTC market alone”, “Stay away from UTC market”, “We do not want to remodel”, “UTC is the best market in FCT”, “Minister come to our rescue”, “People depend on us to survive”, among others.

Owners of shops at UTC area 10,@nigeria @NigeriaGov @FMWHNIG @urbandevelop @NGRSenate @fcta @fcda listen to their cry and help to resolve amicably…say no to violence pic.twitter.com/yTy6qZMZxg

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— victor Unah (@victorUnah3) April 4, 2023

NAN reports that the traders in their hundreds barricaded the main entrance to the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and the FCTA secretariats.

Godfrey Ojarikre, chairman of the association of UTC shop owners, said some FCTA officials had, in the early hours of Tuesday, arrived at the market and demolished its perimeter fencing without prior notice and knowledge of the traders.

He accused Urban Shelter of displacing traders in the market without proper communication or plans.

“We woke up on Tuesday morning to discover that the fence of the complex had been demolished. Such action is in contrary to the subsisting court order that all parties to the court case should maintain the status quo,” Ojarikre said.

“In 2021, we had the course to go to court to douse the tension that was brewing between us and the market management. It took us by surprise that on Dec. 25, 2020, we came to the complex only to discover three billboards erected by Urban Shelter, that they want to remodel the market.

“And from that 2020, they have not been relating with us, but rather they have been fraudulently relating with our tenants who are traders in the market. They even gave the FCT minister the wrong impression, that they have been discussing with us. The most culprit is Urban Shelter.

“Then the department of development control came and wrote quit notice on March 30, and our lawyer wrote to them to remind them that the case is in court. We thought the matter has ended, only for us to come this morning and noticed that the fence to the complex has been removed.”

Ojarikre said the FCTA used security operatives to harass his colleagues despite the fact that they were legal owners of the shops.

He appealed to the authorities to shelve the demolition and put proper plans in place to remodel the market.

“Majority of us that are retired civil servants who used our pensions and gratuities to erect the permanent structures. Even if they are remodeling, at least they needed to meet and discuss with the real owners of the shop in the complex,” he said.