ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), through its Market Management Company, Abuja Markets Management Limited (MMC-MML), has in response to the outbreak of Lassa fever in at least 10 states of the federation, taken extra measures to ensure that its markets and shopping facilities are insulated from the outbreak of the deadly disease.
The Market Managers in a statement signed by its Corporate Affairs Manager, Mr. Innocent Amaechina, on Thursday, said that the collaboration is on-going with key stakeholders in the markets.
According to Amaechina, the aimed is at improving the sanitary condition of the markets and equipping the traders with necessary information on Lassa Fever and Bird Flu prevention.
He listed the stakeholders to include: Abuja Environmental Protection Board, the FCTA Departments of Public Health and Agric, the waste management service providers, major suppliers of food items and dealers and retailers of food items/poultry in the market, as well as the general traders.
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The MNL spokesman said that the “traders are constantly being enlightened about Lassa fever preventive measures especially as it relates to promoting community hygiene.
“These include every habit aimed at discouraging rodents (which are the key carriers of the disease) from inhabiting the market environment”.
“This may include storing grains and food stuff in rodent-proof containers, disposing of garbage at designated areas, and maintaining general cleanliness of the shopping environment”, he continued.
Apart from this awareness creation, Amaechina said, the FCTA has directed the waste Management service providers in all of its facilities to weigh in on this challenge by doubling its effort in cleaning and waste evacuation in their various locations .
He conveyed FCTA assurances to Abuja residents of its commitment in providing a safe and conducive environment for shopping.
“As professional facility managers, it is our duty to provide a shopping environment that is safe. Part of what we do to ensure safety of market users is to fumigate and derat the markets at least twice in a year.
“But with this outbreak,we have increased the rate of fumigation and derating in the market such that with all these efforts, we may have protected the residents of the FCT who shop in our facilities from Lassa Fever , Bird Flu and such dreaded diseases”, he stated.
The market managers therefore urged all stakeholders, especially the traders and relevant government agencies in the market to continue to support this lofty goal for the benefit of residents and visitors in the Federal Capital City (FCC).
