Nasarawa Govt Bans Roadside Markets

Igbawase Ukumba in Lafia

Director General of the Nasarawa State Market Bureau (NSMB), Abdullahi Tanko Zubairu, at the weekend disclosed that the state government has banned selling on roadsides in the state.

The DG made this known during an interaction with select journalists in Lafia, the state capital, even as he restated that there was a law in the state forbidding street trading across major towns of the state.

He, however, explained that the ban on roadsides trading, especially in Lafia, was to ensure that traders carrying out such activities in the streets of the Lafia metropolis were relocated to the Kwandare ultra-modern market in Lafia, which was built with funds accessed through bond but unfortunately lying empty.

According to him, “The Kwandare ultra-modern market was built with a bond which the state government collected, and the market should not be left empty. The relocation of such categories of traders to the market will provide decent and peaceful marketing activities in the state.”

When asked about allegations by traders of the Alamis market that they were forced by the state government agencies to relocate to the ultra-modern market, the director-general said: “Nobody forced them to relocate. Not everybody will move to the ultra-modern market from the Alamis market.”

He continued: “Officials of the Alamis market had approached the market bureau requesting for space in the ultra-modern market when they stated that some Alamis market traders wanted to leave trading by the roadsides. Consequently, the officials agreed that by November 1, 2019, those affected traders will move to the ultra-modern market.”

Zubairu explained that there are three categories of traders who would move to the ultra-modern market, which include the Ochanja market traders, Grain Store traders and the Alamis market traders. The government has paid compensation to the affected traders.