Kuje (FCT) – Mr Yunusa Isa, Chairman of Kuje Traders Association in Abuja, has appealed to traders whose shops were demolished recently to be patient with management as compensations were being paid in batches.
Isa made the appeal during interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), at the ongoing Second Phase Modernisation of Kuje Main Market by the Kuje Area Council on Wednesday.
Isa stressed that only traders with genuine allocation papers from the Kuje Area Council’s land department would be considered in the compensation.
Isa said proper consultations and meetings were held with the traders before the demolition.
Isa identified congestion, lack of access road network and illegal electrical connections as major causes of fire outbreaks in the market.
“It is very sad that we witnessed two major fire outbreaks in previous years as a result of congestion and illegal electrical connections in the market.
“The outbreaks resulted from wrong electrical connections in the shops and goods worth more than N40 million were lost.’’
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He added that the project was a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement between the Kuje Area Council and Green House Ventures Limited.
He urged the traders to remove illegal structures for easy movement of building materials.
He also called on the traders to be patient with the contractors handling the project assuring them that there were plans for the speedy completion of the market.
“I want to plead with the traders to be patient. As soon as the project is completed, they will have comfortable shops to sell their goods in.’’
He said the market, constructed more than 25 years ago, was in a dilapidated state and needed modernisation.
“There is no development without pain; I appeal to the traders to cooperate with the management in the completion of the market. (NAN)
