By Daniel Tyokua
Aggrieved traders at the popular Mpape village market are on each others neck over alleged connivance of some members with Bwari Area Council through a firm to remodel the market.
The disagreement became worst occured at the weekend, when authorities of the Council when FCTA task team attempted to reclaim a section of the market reserved for the construction of a parking lot, fire and police station as part of the facilities for the market remodelling
Trouble started when leaders of those to be affected by the exercise exchanged heated banters with their colleagues cooperating with the government operatives to recover the said space, allegedly slowing down remodelling process.
While some aggrieved traders voiced their disapproval others resulted to rain of stones into the atmosphere, leading to a chaotic scene as people scampered for safety, thereby causing tension in the high densely populated area.
The situation was addressed through intervention of the security operatives that accompanied the task team, who dispersed the crowd
Speaking with newsmen in the area, Head of Logistics Bwari Area Council, Mr. Audu Amos said the idea of remodeling the market in Bwari area council was conceptualised in 2005 during the reign of Nasiru El’rufai (former FCT Minister) who approved it for development and remodeling.
Amos added that sometimes 2 years ago, when the ministerial taskforce cleared the place, because of security threats at Mpape, the Council was asked to go ahead and develop immediately.
He noted after the Council asked its partners to move in, suddenly, it discovered that traders who were trading temporarily on the space revered for police and fire stations as well as parking bay came with court injunctions, which the Council authorities went to court were able to vacate it.
He added that there are a lot of options for the would-be displaced traders, as there are facilities for ware houses and open air market activities in the place.
