Despite its economic importance to the authorities of FCT, Abuja, as well as its affordable prices of foodstuff, Gosa Market was demolished under controversial circumstances. JOHN NWOKOCHA reports
Presently traders at the Gosa Market, on Umaru Yar’Adua Expressway, along the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, also called Airport Road, Abuja, are busy rebuilding their stalls and clearing bushes to create more space in the new market site they were relocated, after the old market was demolished by the Federal Capital Territory Administration, last week. The look on their faces tells a story of people smarting from the ruins and agony of demolition when this reporter visited the site. Although a few traders were observed trying to adjust to their new environment, settling down for commercial activities in the new site will take a while for reasons ranging from psychology, logistics and emotional attachment to the old location where they had spent a number of years doing their businesses. A couple of traders were seen absent minded mood, probably, counting their loses to the demolition. Also working at the new site are bulldozers, trucks and heavy duty machines of the FCT authorities.
Demolition
Gosa, a popular market for the rich and poor was demolished on Saturday, 24th of March by the FCT administration, with scores of heavily armed security operatives ensuring that there was no resistance to the operation.
Before its destruction, the market, which sells every Friday, was a popular shopping arena for hotels, aides of top government officials and those who buy in bulk for resale in retail because of the cheap price of commodities, especially foodstuff.
In 2003, Gosa market was relocated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, from Gosa pai pai, a distance of about 500 meters to the location where it was demolished that Saturday.
Protest
But this time around some natives of Gosa, comprising over 30 villages staged a protest over the demolition of their market. The angry traders had to block the Umaru Yar’Adua Expressway.
The traders made bonfires on both sides of the road and prevented motorists and travellers from using the highway, which resulted to a long queue of vehicles. The protesting villagers and traders had were resolute in their demonstration despite the presence of combined security forces, held their ground for several hours, chanted protesters’ songs and consequently caused major traffic gridlock for motorists coming in and out of the city.
It was learnt that prior to the March 24, demolition, officials of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) had stormed the market earlier in the day with armed policemen and pulled down open stalls and other sheds as a warning to the main destruction.
In view of this, Blueprint learnt that sellers at the market who are mostly Gbagyi, the indigenous people of Abuja, got wind of the plot to demolish their market and moblised themselves to register their disapproval. And in just a few minutes it had assumed a massive protest which lasted for two days before they were dispersed by the combined security forces.
Rage
One of the traders, who identified himself as Yohanna, said they were not given adequate notice by the AMMC before the demolition was carried out, noting that some traders lost their wares during the exercise.
He said the demolition had deprived them of their means of livelihood.
“I don’t understand why a government that is not providing jobs is taking away people’s means of income; is that fair?” he asked.
The traders, according to them, had had to embark on the protest because the market is the place where they carry out their businesses and take care of their families and vowed they would only quit the road if the authorities rescinded the order to close the market.
Another trader, Mrs Mary David said the demolition of the market would cause many families untold hardship considering the fact that there was no job as many people were unemployed.
She said that the market was always busy, especially on Fridays as people from different places come to buy and sell at the market.
Also speaking on the development, Malam Beko Idris said that the youth had to join the demonstration to express their displeasure with the government because the market was the source of their income.
“I don’t know what this government wants people to do, no job yet the only the source of getting money is being demolished.
“They are asking us to move down to Gwagwalada for our business, how can we cope in this hard time?
“At least the government should have made provision for another market before demolishing the old one,” he said. Since the market started about 16 years ago successive administration of the FCT had found it a major source of revenue. On market days officials of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), were busy collecting various types of tolls from both sellers and buyers. Tickets were issued to motorists at the payment of the rate before they allowed into the market, Blueprint observed severally. But the demolition would suggest that Gosa Market served no economic importance to the FCT administration, apart from engaging jobs youths to whom it created jobs.
Why we Demolished Gosa Market
So why did government demolish Gosa Market?
Giving reasons for the demolition of Gosa Market and some settlements in the environ, Umar Shuaibu, Coordinator of AMMC, said that the exercise was embarked on to cut losses of airline passengers and operators who are often held up by traffic along the Airport Road in Abuja.
Shuaibu said, the council embarked on the demolition exercise to arrest the incidence of blockage of the Gosa portion of the Abuja Airport Expressway.
Speaking in the same vein,Sani Abubakar, a media aide to the FCT Minister, Muhammad Bello, explained that part of the market was demolished because it constituted a nuisance.
“The market constituted a nuisance to the free flow of traffic along the airport area and no responsible government will sit by and watch the illegality being perpetrated by the traders,” he reportedly said on the phone.
Shuaibu continues: “Our actions became necessary because of the clear and present danger that illegal trading on the buffers and shoulders of the road portend to lives and property.
“Gosa Market was located deep inside the community, off the express road buffer zone, but has since spilled beyond its bounds into the Airport Expressway.
“For some time, travellers on the Airport road every day, especially on Fridays suffer untold hardships on their way to or from Abuja, as they have to endure traffic hold-ups occasioned by traders blocking the road.
“This has resulted to missing of flights and time wastage.
“What we did today was to remove the empty stalls. We did not even touch the containers, which were under lock and key because of the goods inside them.
“We, however, told the security men to inform owners to come and move these containers and stalls to the required 500 meters off the express road as required by law,’’
He lamented that the blockage was the reason for some of the accidents being witnessed on the road.
Recalling several stakeholders’ meetings with the AMMC authorities, Shuaiabu said the agency had warned the traders against trading on the road buffers and shoulders but that the meetings had yielded no meaningful outcome.
Reacting to this Mrs Esther Jiatshe, a member of women leaders of the market said she was not aware of any meeting with the FCT authorities, adding that the traders were not given a quit notice before the demolition. The market leader insisted that the government should compensate them for their loses. She disclosed that traders were compiling list of affected members and that they were not going to give up until they are compensated.
Meanwhile, commercial activities are gradually returning to the new market. Last Friday, skeletal activities were observed at the site, with some of the traders and buyers lamenting lack of infrastructure, such as access road to the market.
