Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
In order to reduce noise pollution and create a friendly atmosphere for residents and other business owners, the Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA has asked managers of the popular Area 1 Shopping Complex in Abuja to seek for a uniform source of energy.
This is so as to reduce the environmental pollution in the area caused by the hundreds of electricity generating sets used by the traders.
The decision was taken at the weekend after authorities of the FCT Administration made up of the Departments of Development Control, Security Services, the Abuja Environmental Protection Board AEPB, as well as the Abuja Investments Company Ltd, held a meeting with traders at the market.
According to the Administration, all the attached shops and other illegal constructions, as well as illegal parking lots which hitherto made the place motorists nightmare would be pulled down and the whole environment cleaned up, restoring the complex to its old self.
Director, FCTA Development of Development Control, Muktar Galadima who revealed this after the stakeholders meeting, said the current people-friendly FCT Administration decided to meet with managers of the market so as to reach an understanding before carrying out the cleaning exercise.
He said the congestion at the market, coupled with its unhygienic condition are a recipe for disaster in terms of the people’s health and in cases of emergency.
“The way the market is very congested and unhygienic is not good for the safety and health of the traders and customers”, Galadima said.
Galadima insisted that all the Kebab (Suya) sellers would be located under one roof, while parking spaces inside the market would be removed and that “they should have one source of energy, instead of littering the market with generating sets, causing noise pollution”.
“God forbid, but imagine if there is any fire outbreak in this market, it will be disastrous, and rescue operations impossible. As a government, we do not have to wait for that to happen before we take action.
“Remember we were here last year to do some clean up, but this time, it is different. We are going to remove all the attachments, and create spaces inside the market for parking.
“We are not happy with the traffic situation caused by activities of this market, so we will sanitize it in line with the vision of the Nyesom Wike-led FCT Administration in sanitizing the Federal Capital Territory”, Galadima said.
Speaking on behalf of the traders, Umar Uba thanked the FCT Administration for thinking it wise to meet and inform them of the plans to remove illegal structures in the market.
Umar pledged that they would assist the authorities in sanitizing the market since it is also for their good.