Although there are a number of markets spread around the nation’s capital, Wuse market appears to be the busiest. It is indeed a business hub for traders with sales of all manners of goods, such as clothes, shoes, electronics and cooking utensils among several other items.
Before now, the market was a haven of illegal activities within and outside which contributed to heavy traffic. For those that know Abuja very well, it is not hidden that the hustling and bubbling around the market in past was most perpetrated by unauthorised business activities, including commercial taxi drivers.
Although the market is fenced, its entrance and the surrounding roads used to be busier than the market itself.
Sadly, as it were, road side hawkers even took over the foot-path; unauthorised traders display different manners of goods for sale with commercial buses and taxis contributing their own quota to the crisis.
The situation at the entrance and around the market was so chaotic to the extent that motorists had to spend hours struggling to enter the market as a result of the activities of this group of operators. One of the worrisome things which observers insist needed attention from the FCT administration was the fact that hawkers who display their wares at the entrance of the market constituted serious nuisance and even compete with traders who own shops in the market.
The hustling and bustling around the market by these hawkers not only cause obstructions for the road users, but became an avenue for criminals and 419ners to operate, using the crowd as a cover to perpetrate their nefarious activities.
It is obvious that the recent cleansing of the Wuse market which many consider as a right step taken by the FCT administration in sanitising Abuja, was the best thing that has happened to the market and its environs in recent time.
Interestingly, this intervention by the FCT administration has brought fresh air around the market which used to be congested despite the filth.
Under the watchful eyes of the present FCT minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, trading along the streets and outside the market was swiftly halted, giving room for order and free movement of goods and services in the entire area.
To ensure that hawkers stop displaying their wares along the market, officers and men from the enforcement unit of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, AEPB and SURE-P personnel have been deployed to monitor strategic places around the market and along the road leading into it to ensured that there is strict compliance and orderliness from both traders and commercial taxi operators who before now made life difficult for residents patronising the market.
One of the steps which led to the huge success recorded by the administration in cleaning the market was the deployment of other security agencies including the Police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, armed with sophisticated and assorted weapons who have supported the enforcement team to see that no stone is left unturned in ensuring that people comply with government’s directive for a better and conducive market environment.
An Abuja resident who spoke with Pilot Metro confirmed that the general situation along the road in Wuse market is presently wearing a new face as one can move freely without hindrance and harassment by taxi drivers who struggle about for passengers.
Traders in the market who have expressed satisfaction with the intervention of the FCT agree that they are at the moment more comfortable with the situation on ground. According to one of the shop owners who simply gave his name as Obina, most traders are now getting more customers because of the improved business environment. He said, even the rich and high profile personalities in Abuja who only patronise big plazas in the city, now come to Wuse market.
However, some Abuja residents who are frequent buyers at the market have complained of inadequate parking spaces. Driving in and out of the market presently appears a very difficult task.
For both customers and traders, one additional step which the FCT administration needs to take is to look into the situation in addressing the plight of the motorists who come in with their cars by way of expanding parking space that would accommodate more cars and even bigger trucks that bring goods into the market.
A motorist residing in Wuse II area, Mr. Christopher Agidi, explained how motorists suffer especially at weekend as a result of the rush to buy things in the market. According to him, some people prefer to go to other markets around to buy things at weekend because of the difficulties they face in getting adequate parking space.
Investigation revealed that despite the yet effective efforts by the FCT administration to ensure sanity and free vehicular movement in and around the market, some lawless taxi drivers are still violating the rules by parking and picking passengers along the road, exactly where they were barred by the government not to operate.
If the set standard by the government must be maintained, Senator Bala Mohammed needs to institute a mechanism which would allow for constant and sustained regular supervision of the market.
Officers of the AEPB, Police and the NSCDC officers should be on constant surveillance to see that taxi drivers and hawkers do not return back to the roadside.