Abuja indigenes demand markets in their domains

By Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka
Abuja

Through their village heads, some indigenous communities in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) have appealed to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), to as a matter of importance and necessity build a befitting place of buying and selling as market places in their different domains.

The village heads spoke to our correspondents in their respective places at different times recently.

Among the chiefs who spoke to our correspondent were the Gomo III of Karmo, Chief Umar Gani Sarkin Karmo; Asugeri Idu, the host community of idu Industrial Area, Chief Muhammad Baba Makama and; Esu Adams Jatau of Maje community.

Making his case, the Asuger Idu said that as a community that has among others, been contributing and is still contributing to the development of FCT, by hosting companies, industries, government agencies, estates, residents, the government, according to him should build a market where the indigenes and non indigenes in his domain should be doing business of buying and selling.

He said that they rely on markets like the one in Wuse, Garki and other areas in the FCT for business of buying and selling. Chief Muhammad Bawa further stated clearly that since they don’t have farm land any longer, the only means of livelihood left for them in his domain was business of buying and selling, even as he added that without a place as a market for them, having since left farming, being their agelong occupation, as a result of development that came to their place, they would find it difficult to fend for their families.

He said: “We welcome the development that has come to our place in Abuja and that is why we had to donate our farmlands to the government, for that purpose. But we are appealing to the government treat our request with consideration, by building a market for us, which if done, will be another means of livelihood.

“Although, we can’t go into farming again, but we have turned into business of buying and selling in alternative. So with a market in my domain, both the indigenes and non indigenes shall be able to fend therefrom. We rely on the government for this request to be attended to with seriousness. With a market in my domain and the population we have there, government will stand to be generating a lot of revenue therefrom.”

But on his own, the traditional ruler of Maje, Esu Adams Jatau also appealed to the government to come and reconstruct and expand the market in front of his palace. He said the market, if reconstructed and expanded, would not only continue to serve as a means of livelihood for many people within and outside his domain, but also a means of huge revenue generation to the government.

He said that the government officials from Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) usually come to the market for revenue generation, adding that he has never intervened or disturbed them from their lawful duties, but was quick to advise them to use the revenue to develop the market. He said that the indigenes have since resorted to the business of buying and selling, as a result of forceful taking over of their farmlands by the government and estate developers.

“Our occupation used o be farming, but for the fact that the government has allocated our lands out to, among others, the estate developers, we had to resort to business of buying and selling. So for that, we are appealing to those in authority to live up to expectations, by helping them reconstruct and expand this little market in front of this my place.

“AMAC officials collects revenue therefrom and I have never disturbed them or intervened, but what I usually tell them is to use the revenue to expand and reconstruct the market. This, if done, will go a long way to give more revenues to the government, as well as to those in the buying and selling type of business in the market, because many people fend for their families from the market. So let government help us to do justice to this market, ” he appealed.

Similarly speaking, the Gomo III of Karmo Sabo, Chief Umar Gani Sarkin Karmo, admitted that many of the indigenes of his community were not traders, but he was quick to add that the government knows that the market was as old as his community. And for that, he said since the market was demolished by the government, who later promised to rebuild it, let them live up to their promises.

Still making case for a befitting market in his domain, he said that for the fact that his people patronise the traders in the market and people from far and wide make a good living therefrom makes him happy. Thus he asked those in authority to live up to their promises.

However, the chairman of Karmo market, Umar Maikasua similarly appealed to the government to give the market solid rebuilding, saying that rebuilding of the market solidly with good plan will go a long way to stop frequent fire outbreaks the traders have been suffering thetefrom.

He also said the reason why government has been loosing a lot of revenues from the market was because of their failure to rebuild the market.

One of the traders in the market, Usman Abubakar said when the government demolished the market, the traders took them to court and court ruled that the same government should rebuild the market. He said that the government told them to put up shanty shelters there, pending when they will come and rebuild it. Up till now, he went on, they have not obeyed the court. “So we are begging them to help us, because if they build the market with solid blocks and good plan, the regular fire outbreaks that had been consuming goods woth billions of Naira in this market will be curtailed to the barest minimum,” he observed.