The Fruits Sellers Association of Nigeria (FSAN), Zuba Fruits Market branch, has called on the FCT Minister of State, Hajiya Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, to intervene over the suspension of its executive members by the Gwagwalada Area Council.
The Chairman of the fruits seller, Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed Talba, while addressing newsmen at the market in Zuba on Monday, said the council’s Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Jibrin Giri, in a letter through the head of administration of the council, suspended the executive members of the association without genuine reasons.
He noted that since the establishment of the association over 26 years ago, it had always conducted elections to elect its leaders after every four years without any external interference.
He said it was, therefore, disheartening that the present administration of the council started interfering in the affairs of the association and went ahead to appoint a caretaker committee to oversee the market when there were elected executives in place.
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“Our relationship with the present administration of Gwagwalada Area Council had been cordial until recently when we received a letter suspending all the duly elected executives and appointment of a caretaker committee to oversee the market.”
According to him, upon receipt of the suspension letter, the executive members of the market went to meet with the council’s secretary in order to ascertain what the problem was, but that the council could not give any cogent reason.
He explained that the association had been paying its revenue on a daily basis without any default, and that, “Even when the council increased the revenue, we didn’t complain, we have been paying.
“It is on this premise that the Zuba Fruits Market Union is appealing to the Minister of State for the FCT, Hajiya Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, to urgently wade into this matter before it will snowball into breakdown of law and order.”
Reacting, the Secretary of the council, Alhaji Mohammed Saba, said the council decided to suspend the union’s executives and appointed caretakers over failure of the union to adhere to the council’s rules.
Saba, who declined to mention some the rules the union violated, simply said, “You know the fruits market is owned and controlled by Gwagwalada Area Council, and a situation where a tenant wants to decide something for the landlord, it will not be acceptable.’’
