A storm is gathering between traders at the Zuba Market in Gwagwalada Local Government in Abuja, the area Council and a developer over alleged breach of agreement and moves to forcefully revoke the traders ownership of shops and warehouses.
According to spokesman of the Traders Association, Olumakinju Peters, ” The Local Government Council Chairman is bringing in ‘Lion Property’ as the developer to handle the restructuring of Zuba market to frustrate our businesses”.
Peters alleged that money was collected by the developer in year 2022/2023 from the traders for the verification and revalidation which was to be valid for five (5) years. However after after the successful completion of the exercise, the developer is yet to handover the re-allocation papers to the traders. Unfortunately instead of being handed the documents as required, the developer is threatening to revoke ownership of shops and warehouses.
The traders had reported the case at the Gwagwalada Area Council which resulted in the suspension of the activities of the developer for few months.
The Traders Association are appealing to the local Government Council to intervene by spelling out the scope of the developer’s operation and the cost implications.
The Spokesperson lamented that despite initial assurances, the Council had yet to take any action to allay their fears.
The crisis started during the recent Salah break when the developer went to the site with the intention of commencing painting of the shops in the market, unfortunately this met stiff resistance by the Traders Association who believe that painting the shops over the holiday period would have given the developer reasons to lay claim to an amount agreed with the LCA as cost of upgrade and renovation of the shops.
The Secretary to the Traders Association further stated ” we have concrete information about the ploy by the Area Council Chairman whose tenure elapses in few months time of his personal arrangement with the developer to revoke and reallocate the shop at a fee of N5,000,000. The trader’s are angry hence the need for the protest”
He stressed that ” Within one Year the Chairman had attempted to hijack three main markets within Zuba”
TNNO reliable gathered that a total of 300 shops had already been revoked with further threat of more revocation.
The Traders expressed their displeasure by halting business activities in the Market for the better part of friday with placard carrying protesters peacefully expressing their grievances with different inscriptions to drive home their points.
The Secretary regretted that so far what the traders got from the developer after paying for the validation and verification for a five- year period was a message conveying the revocation of over 300 shops and warehouses without any congent reason, other than claiming that the Gwagwalada area council had ceded its powers over the market to him under a signed PPP agreement.
All efforts to reach the Chairman of the Council or the developer for their reaction was abortive.