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Traders In Zuba International Market Shut Down Operations Over Shop Revocations
NEWS

Traders at the Zuba International Market in Gwagwalada Area Council, Abuja, took drastic action on Tuesday by shutting down the market in protest against the revocation of over 300 of their shops.

The revocation was carried out by Lion Property Consult Ent Ltd in collaboration with the Gwagwalada Area Council, with plans to revoke more shops.

The traders, organized under the Zuba International Main Market Traders Association, voiced their grievances, stating that they had paid for verification and validation carried out by the developer between 2022 and 2023, which was supposed to cover a five-year term. However, they have yet to receive their allocation papers.

Olumakinju Peter, the Secretary of the traders’ association, expressed frustration over the situation. “We just paid for Verification and Validation which was done by the developer between the year 2022 / 2023 for a five-year term. Few months after the successful exercise, we received a message confirming the revocation of over 300 shops and warehouses without giving any reason.”

He further explained that all attempts to engage the developer and the area council have been met with threats and aggression. “All letters, calls, round table discussions, and personal engagement to further discussion on his assignment have been entertained with different degrees of threats and aggression.”

The situation escalated last year when the developer attempted to remove the roofs of shops stocked with valuables without prior notice, causing a crisis that was eventually halted by the area council after stakeholder intervention.

The traders have sought clarity from the Gwagwalada Area Council regarding the developer’s scope of engagement and the details of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement. Despite assurances from the council to address these concerns, the traders feel their issues remain unresolved.

An emergency meeting held on June 6, 2024, by the Gwagwalada Area Council, involving heads of security agencies and the developer, declared the resumption of the developer’s activities in the market without addressing the traders’ concerns. The council directed the developer to collaborate with the traders’ association and ensure no existing shops were touched until all issues were addressed.


However, the traders accuse the developer of acting contrary to these instructions by painting shops without their consent. They fear that the developer, in collusion with some council personnel, will use this renovation to claim full control of the market and impose exorbitant charges on the traders.

Efforts to reach the vice chairman of the council for comments were unsuccessful. The developer, Agu Okechukwu Samuel, defended the actions, stating, “Gwagwalada Area Council is the owner of that market; the traders are tenants. They are a rebel group.”

The ongoing dispute has left the market in turmoil, with traders demanding fair treatment and transparency from both the developer and the area council. The situation underscores the need for clear communication and equitable agreements in public-private partnerships affecting livelihoods.

https://independent.ng/traders-in-zuba-international-market-shut-down-operations-over-shop-revocations/

https://mikeosemekenews.com.ng/traders-protest-market-closure-in-gwagwalada-after-developer-revokes-shop-leases/

Wahala no dey finish

The area council is not sincere... The area council should do the right thing first, you collected huge amount of money from a developer without working out plan to either settle the traders nor relocating them... What you came up with is PPP public private partnership to confuse the traders... I don't blame the developer because he wants to access what he has paid for to recoup his investment. One thing is sure, if the developer takes over these shops and remodel it 99.9% of these current traders cannot afford to rent nor acquire the remodeled shops... This is why they are crying... So the best thing is for the council to compensate them or relocate them.