WEEKLY Demolishing: Kaduna traders turn to hawking

Hundreds of petty traders in Kaduna, whose makeshift stall at Abubakar Gummi market were recently demolished, have turned to hawking in various parts of the metropolis.

Officials of the state government recently demolished the stalls as part of planned restructuring of the market.

One of the affected traders, Tukur Salihu, who was found selling clothes on a bench, told our correspondent that since the demolition of his stall, he has been playing hide and seek with officials who tried to seize his wares.

He said he was forced to resort to hawking his wares on the streets since he could not afford to buy or rent a stall

“I have a family to feed at home so I need to work to provide for them. The only way for me to survive is to continue like this because I have no place to stay and sell my goods.

“I am not the only one that sells like this, there are others whose stalls were demolished and do not have a place to stay. The whole situation has been tough. We have delegated eminent people to talk with the management but it was a futile effort,” he said.

He said goods seized by the market management were only returned to them after paying a fine.

“The not care management does if what was seized is perishable. I have seen tomato, pepper, yam and other perishable goods that got spoilt in the office. If you want to collect your goods back you have to pay a fine of between N2000 to N10,000.

“I am pleading with the Kaduna state government to look into our plight because we are poor people.

“There are some who could not bear the stress of hide and seek like me and instead resorted to roaming village markets to sell what they have, some are staying at home since they have no other options,” he said.

Sanusi Abdullahi, another trader, whose stall was demolished, said that he also resorted to selling hs goods along the streets since he has nowhere to do his business.

Sanusi, who sells ribbon and other assorted items at the spot where his stall used to be, said he has not been making much sales as he used to when he was in his makeshift stall.

“We never thought of being in this situation. Most of us are poor and have families to look after. Among us are young people who just started trying to learn how to trade instead of depending on others or being a nuisance to the society.

“It was surprising when notice was given to us to vacate our spaces. What do I sell that I need to purchase a stall in the market. The stalls available are owned by individuals who demand for as much as N500, 000 for one.