One of the major achievements of Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State is the massive infrastructural development he has brought to Kaduna City, even though it came with the demolition of old structures, especially markets. However, with about five months to the expiration of his government, residents wonder if the administration will be able to complete several ongoing market structures across the state. Daily Trust Saturday reports.
As part of the state government’s urban renewal project, the Kaduna Market Development Management Company (KMDMC) demolished several market structures to pave the way for modern ones.
Sani Mohammed was a tailor at the old Kasuwar Barci in Tudun Wada, Kaduna South LGA. He lost his shop two years ago after the state government demolished the structure to pave the way for a modern market. Mohammed said he had been unable to rent another shop and had moved his machines and other property home.
He said, “To tell you the truth, I no longer have interest in buying a shop even when the market is completed. I can’t afford it. Many traders that used to own shops before the demolition are now commercial tricycle and motorcycle riders because they have no capital.”
Like Mohammed, Shehu Dahiru was a second-hand clothes seller at the same Kasuwar Barci until he lost his shop during the demolition. He is now hoping that the state government will allocate shops to them when the new structure is completed and hopes this will happen before the administration of Gov El-Rufai comes to an end.
He said, “We are still waiting for the shops to be completed, even though I don’t think that will be possible this year. Work is ongoing at the market.”
Like Kasuwar Barci, other markets reconstructed by the state government across the three senatorial districts are Kasuwar Magani in Kajuru LGA; Unguwar Rimi Market in Kaduna North LGA; Barnawa Market in Kaduna South LGA; Malali Ultra-Modern Market in Kaduna North LGA; Kawo Market in Kaduna North and Sabon Gari Market in Zaria City.
Others are Rigasa Market, Television Garage, Kakuri Market, Unguwar Sanusi Market, Faki Road/Faskari Road Market, among others.
Our correspondent who went to some of the markets reports that while the state government has promised to complete all the markets before the end of the administration, traders say it is unlikely that the developers will meet the deadline.
Daily Trust Saturday observed that the models for the new markets have more spacious parking spaces, standard toilets, fire stations, police stations and other modern facilities.
At the Unguwar Rimi and Malali markets, this reporter observed that the structures have almost been completed.
Speaking to our reporter, Blessing Edwin, the Secretary of Hamawa Centre Paint, the developer handling the project at Malali, said the market would be completed before the end of the present administration.
She said, “The structures have reached 90 per cent. What remains are just about 10 shops to be painted, and then the floors.”
She said traders who had shops before the demolition had expressed interest in buying the new shops, noting that those who were unable to make outright payment had been connected with banks to make installment payments.
She gave the shop prices as N6.4m for a double-size shop and N3.2m for single shops sited downstairs, noting that a single shop upstairs was N3m and the double N6m.
At the Unguwar Rimi Market where there are 1,340 shops, warehouses, restrooms and car park, the Secretary General of the market’s traders, Abdulrahman Sani, said progress had been made by the developer in reconstructing the market into a modern structure.
On the prices of shops in the market, he said the shops were affordable and cost between N2m and N4.1m.
He explained that any trader interested in a shop was expected to make a deposit of 10 per cent of the payment and balance it up through monthly installments.
Sani, however, alleged a poor arrangement between the bank and the market’s management on how the traders are to make the monthly payment.
He said, “The bank is putting pressure on the shop owners to pay their monthly fares without the traders even knowing the shops that have been allocated to them. How can you continue to make a monthly payment of N66,000 for big shops and N33,000 for small shops without seeing or knowing the shop? Business people don’t believe in that.”
He noted that the market’s association had written to KMDMC regarding their challenges and the need to resolve them before the market reopened.
Muktar Shehu is a yam seller, as well as Vice Chairman of the Unguwar Rimi Market. He said they were happy that the market now had a new look, but noted that the traders needed to be assisted with capital following the shutdown of markets during the COVID 19 pandemic.
He further said, “Later, insecurity also affected our traders because they couldn’t travel to buy goods. After that, the issue of renovating the market came up and shops were demolished. All these affected the traders. So, our appeal is for the government to assist our traders with capital.”
The Managing Director (MD) of KMDMC, Tamar Nandul, when contacted, said, “Six markets have already been completed, including Kasuwar Magani, Galaxy Mall and GSM Plaza. We also have Kasuwar Sabon Gari where phases one and two were commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“There are some projects that will be completed in the next two months, which include the trailer park along the Kaduna-Abuja Highway. Kasuwar Barci phase one has been completed, but we cannot do that in phases. So, we are looking at how we can complete it to move people in as quickly as we can. The Barnawa Market, we are hoping will be completed in the next one or two months, while Tudun Wada Market in Zaria is among those completed.”
She further said that the Kwoi Market in Jaba LGA was also coming up quickly and that the government was hoping it would be commissioned this January.
