Dutse Market has always been famous, not just because of its proximity to the Kubwa Expressway, or that it is the largest market in Dutse. It is famous mostly because of the human and vehicular traffic.
Most residents of Gwarimpa, Galadima, Kubwa, Dei Dei, Zuba, Suleja and their environs will testify to the level of traffic which, most times, can spill as far as the expressway. Despite the inconveniences which residents experience because of the market, it is of much importance to them.
After the demolition exercise that took place in some parts of Dutse last year, during which some illegal structures were demolished, the rumour had been making the rounds about an imminent demolition of the market. People, especially traders, hoped that it would remain just a rumour.
However, that rumour became a reality. According to the traders, they woke up one day a few weeks back to the reality that their shops were being demolished by bulldozers.
Some traders claimed that they never had any hint about the demolition.Some claimed they heard about it but thought it would not happen.
The area council insisted that the traders were notified through every means possible, adding that series of meetings were held by all stakeholders. The council added that it would have demolished the market since last year but it continued to give the traders some grace periods.
Even though the administration had provided a temporary space for the traders beside the demolished market to continue their trade, most of them have refused to make use of the temporary place provided. Rather, they turned the newly constructed fence into stands for their numerous wares.
Some insisted that the new site was not convenient for them as their customers will find it difficult locating them.
Michael Obi, a clothe merchant told our correspondent that he had to make alternative arrangement through which he would take care of his family since he no longer has a shop.
He said: “See, one thing with buying and selling is the ability of a customer to reach you and buy it from you.
“How can I agree to go to a corner where my customers will not be able to locate me? The important thing is to make sales and hiding in the temporary site that they gave to us will not do the job. I have a family to take care of and I will not be alive and watch my children starve.”
Madam Stella, who sells plantain by the road side said: “I am not affected by the demolition because it’s not as if I had a shop before the demolition. The only problem now is that all those people that used to have shops are now dragging the space with us outside here. They are now bringing their goods and displaying them where people like us used to stay.
In a chat with our correspondent, the Chairman, Shop Owners’ Association Dutse Market, David Okuawo said: “The area council sold an empty land to us. We built structures on it. That is the right we have to be shop owners. They gave us allocation letters and we have been paying levies and dues to the area council.
“For some of us, there was an agreement where ownership was to expire after 15/25 years respectively, while some of the certificates have life durations and have not expired. We have all these information.”
Continuing, he said: “We are the landlords and should be the ones that the area council should address directly. But they had series of meetings with the traders who are our tenants about the proposed demolition. When we realised what was going on, we took the matter to court and they were restrained from demolishing the market until we had come to a suitable agreement. But they simply went ahead and demolished the market.”
Reacting to the allegation, Chairman Bwari Area Council, Hon. Peter Yohanna Ushafa insisted that his administration did not disobey any court injunction restraining them from demolishing the market, saying they had been meeting with all the stakeholders for several months before the demolition was carried out.
Ushafa said: “Nobody is above the law. There is no way that the court will restrain me from doing anything and I go ahead and do it because I know that I must obey the rule of law. But the reality is that, if they say they were not aware of the demolition then they are not fair to themselves.
“We have had series of meetings with the Dutse Alhaji Market Traders’ Association, Shop Owners’ Association and others. In our meetings, we agreed that the market should be demolished in September last year. But we considered the fact that Christmas was approaching and would be the peak of business; we decided not to bring the market down.
“We invited them to my house recently and they were even asking that it should be done phase by phase. But I told them that it was not going to be possible because paying for the excavation of the market in phases will be more expensive. So, to avoid the cost, I told them that it will have to be done at ones. I told them to move to the alternative place beside the market. Even if I continued to meet with them on the issue for the next 10 years, they will still complain.
“We have told them that if you have a shop in the market that is being pulled down, when the building is completed; you will come over and pick a form. Although the form is N10,000, you will take it for free. All you need is to present the former allocation paper and we will tell you what you are going to pay.
“The traffic situation around the market will now end when the market is completed. This is because the market will be fenced and people will not come out of it to sell.
Continuing, he said: “When the shop owners were given lands to build, they were given papers which include the number of years of tenancy. Have they not exhausted the number of years agreed on? I know that in the letter it was indicated 15 years and that market is more than 15years old; so the time agreed on had elapsed.
“We are still looking at them like partners because the market has brought a lot of progress to Bwari. So, we feel like we are one. We want to ensure that Bwari develops and meets with the standards of the satellite towns so that those living within Bwari will be happy, even as more people can come and live in Bwari.”
So far, work had begun on the new Dutse Alhaji Market. Hopefully, it will meet international standard.
