There is apprehension and confusion among traders operating from makeshift shops at Shaikh Gumi Market following an order by the state government for such traders to remove them.
The government said the order was part of its plan to decongest and expand the market.
Already officials of the Market Development Company have started removing such shops along Broadcasting Road, Hadeja Road, Lagos Street, Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Ahmadu Bello Way and those at Bakin Dogo, all adjoining the market.
Our correspondent reports that some of the traders were not happy with the directive claiming that the action would put them out of business.
Mohammed Mu’azu, one of the affected traders, said government has not provided any alternative to them.
“They also said they do not want to see people hawking or selling wares in wheelbarrow. This is not the solution because if they stop us where do they want us to go? So, I think, the government needs to think very hard on this.
“When we heard the news that some attachment were being removed within Shaikh Gumi markets we were told that it would only affect those in the market but before we could move our wares they already started removing the shops not only within the market but even here at Bakin Dogo.
”We were not given notice and no alternative shops were given to us. This is why we are appealing to government to allow us to continue doing businesses here or provide us with an alternative to continue,” he said.
An elderly woman, who only identified herself as Madam Esther, begged the governor to allow them to continue doing their business there saying she doesn’t have money to own a shop inside the market.
“We are begging the governor to allow us do our business here in peace because all my children are unemployed they all depend on me. So if we leave here where will I go. I’m already old where will I go if they force us to leave here, we are only pleading with him to allow us stay,” she said.
Auwal, another trader , said he never expected the government to order them out of the market.
“We see this government as a protector to all masses in the north. For years we have been here doing our business but today we found ourselves in this situation after voting for them.
“Ours is to beg because if we leave here we don’t know where to go this is why we are pleading with the government to allow us stay to continue with our businesses,” he said.
Adamu, another trader at Bakin Dogo, appealed to the state government to listen to the people’s pleas on the issue.
The Managing Director, Kaduna Market and Development Company, Hafiz Bayero, said the exercise was part of government’s urban development project which aimed to improve infrastructure.
“We have no any issue with any trader or shop owner because I personally don’t even know most of the shop owners. None of them has offended the governor or anybody in the administration. We are demolition these shops to replace them with modern and better ones,” he said.
