Jos: Traders worried over notice to quit 83-year-old Bukuru Market
Traders at Bukuru market in Jos, Plateau State, have raised concerns over the quit notice given to them by the Jos South Local Government, saying the authorities have not shown sincerity in their plan to rebuild the place, which was established in 1938. Daily Trust Saturday reports.
After the 2001 first ethnoreligious crisis in Jos, the Plateau State capital and many other crises that have occurred across the state, things are yet to return to normalcy.
Although the ethno-religious crises have largely subsided in the state capital, especially in the past few years, Bukuru market, located in Gyel district of Jos South, has continued to bear the brunt of previous incidents as traders operated from the roadside.
As a result of this, gridlock is common on the road, which has also been littered with different things. This has continued for many years, and many traders have continued to read some kind of political undertone to their predicament, as well as manipulation from several quarters.
The market, which was established since 1938 (83 years ago), has served the people from many parts of the state, including Jos South, Jos North, Barkin Ladi, Riyom and other neighbouring local government areas for many years. People have made fortunes out of the market.
But despite the fact that inside the market was abandoned and traders occupied the street, businesses still went on in large proportion. Our correspondent who went round the market observed that regardless of the poor state of some of the structures there, the traders went about their businesses happily.
In the market, hundreds of bags of grain are sold on a daily basis. The blacksmith section, abattoir, food section, tailoring line, provision stores, among other sections, attract a lot of traders and customers.
Some of the traders who took our correspondent round said they would be glad if those who vacated the market and went to the street could join hands in moving the market forward for the betterment of all.
The traders are, however, agitated by the recent quit notice given to them by the authorities of Jos South Local Government. They were directed to quit the market so that it would be reconstructed and put into full use. This has been generating apprehension and disquiet among the people. The quit notice was from July 1 to July 10, 2021.
Even though the deadline for the quit notice has expired, the traders have continued to do their businesses as they keep looking for a means of reconciling the gray areas that needed to be resolved with the authorities. This, they said, was paramount so that traders would not be indirectly victimised or suffer any unnecessary hardship.
While some of the traders believe there could be more to the quit notice, others say to leave them the market without providing an alternative place will only aggravate the hardship they generally experienced.
In addition to the reconstruction reason given by Jos South, they also said the market was being used as a hideout for criminals and youths engaged in illicit drugs and other substances.
This allegation has, however, been denied by many traders in
the market, who felt it was a pure case of ‘giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it.’
Reacting to the quit notice, the traders and other service providers in the market called on the caretaker committee chairman of Jos South Local Government, Gideon Dandareng, to ensure that they don’t suffer loss as a result of the vacation order. They insisted that the intension of government should be genuine, with the evidence of reconstruction plan on ground.
Meanwhile, Jos South Local Government said it had engaged a private company to rebuild the market, but did not say whether or not it is providing another temporary place for traders to continue their business pending the completion of the reconstruction.
Speaking with Daily Trust Saturday on the issue, the chairman of the traders’ association, Muhammad Sa’idu Jide, denied the allegation that the market served as a hideout for criminals.
“We have employed the services of vigilantes to ensure that no crime is committed in the market. Nobody has ever been killed or kidnapped in the market. We have been living in peace with everybody, irrespective of our ethno-religious differences.
“We are not against the reconstruction of the market. In fact, we are ready to cooperate with the government on that. Our fear is that there is no evidence of preparation to embark on the project. Thousands of people eke their living from the market and quitting them will cause a lot of hardship. If another temporary place is provided, that would be welcome,” Jide said.
When contacted, the chairman of Jos South, Dandareng, said his decision to ask the traders to leave the market followed a report by the host community about criminal activities going on there, especially raping of girls.
“Above all, that market no longer exists because government had already closed it since crisis broke out. And nobody is paying tax to the government. We have engaged a contractor to rebuild the market for the good of the community. However, we will convene another stakeholders’ meeting to hear from the traders again because our government listens to the people,” Dandareng added.
Alhaji Ado Maidoya, the Sarkin Fada of Bukuru, who also served as chairman of the traders’ association for the period of 9 years during the Solomon Lar administration in the early 1980s, said the market only needed a little facelift in phases so that business activities could continue without quitting the traders.
He explained that it was after the crisis in 2001 that traders vacated the main market to trade by the roadside, out of the fear of the unknown.
Maidoya said the structures in the market were still in good shape because since it was established,
they have not recorded any form of fire incident. He added that it was the responsibility of the government to bring back all the traders into the market to continue their businesses. According to him, by so doing, more revenue will be generated for the local government for the development of the state.
He further said the recent plan by the government to demolish the market was not necessary
since the structure of the market is still intact, adding that with a little renovation, the market would come out as beautiful as it was and all and sundry would benefit.
He advised government to look into the matter carefully and take action in consideration for peace, unity and progress. He said market remained one good meeting point that does not care about people’s backgrounds or affiliations as
different tribes, religions and political groups come together to do their legitimate businesses in the market, and as well, foster understanding and unity.
Babaji Badaru, a blacksmith and the assistant general secretary of the traders’ association said that since the market was established in 1938, business thrived until crisis erupted in the city a few years back. He added that after some traders
left the market, others stayed to save it from total collapse.
Badaru also said the traders were not against government’s plan to reconstruct the market into a modern one, but they should be relocated to a good temporary place to carry on with their businesses as the market is their only source of income.
Philomena Ishaya, who patronised traders in the market frequently, said the present situation had been a source of concern to many people.
She said the market remained the most popular within the JosBukuru metropolis, and called on all the stakeholders to come together to rebuild it, adding that it would go a long way in restoring peaceful coexistence among the people of the state.
She argued that since Bukuru has a sizable number of Christians and Muslims, as well as Berom and Hausa communities, any good peace initiative there would be to the benefit of the state.
Mubarak Yahaya, a tailor in the market, said that despite all the crises in the state, they have been going on with their normal activities.
He said rebuilding the market was a good initiative as it would not only generate revenue for government but enhance modern business techniques if done according to contemporary setting with all the required facilities put in place.
A food vendor, Safiyah Adulaziz, who has been in the market for about 15 years now, said that regardless of the challenges and all the real and imagined controversy surrounding the market, business activities have been going on.
She said government should not rebuild the market to bring different traders; instead, it should seek a way of building trust with the people to boost economic activities.
Daily Trust Saturday gathered that the facilities to be included in the proposed new market would include modern shops, police post, mobile court, social amenities like good and functional source of water, good roads, fences/gates, among others.