Stakeholders of Kofar Ruwa Iron and Rod market have continued to voice out
\ntheir disapproval over the decision of Dala Local Government council
\nchairman, Alhaji Suleiman Dan Isli to build lock-up shops on the main road
\nof the Alphamic Line area of the over 45-year old market which has
\ncontinued to serve customers not only from northern Nigerian states, but
\nfrom neighbouring countries such as Niger, Sudan and Chad.
\nPointblanknews.com recently reported the tension that has continued to
\nrise over the erection of the controversial structure by Dala Local
\nGovernment authorities.<\/p>\n
However, Pointblanknews.com reports that Force Headquarters, Abuja, has
\nalready directed the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in-charge
\nof Zone 1 to look into the matter and ensure that it is resolved amicably
\nwithout breakdown of law and order. The leadership of Kofar Ruwa Iron and
\nRod Association (KRIRDA) has earlier called on Governor Abdullahi Umar
\nGanduje to wade into the matter and stop Dala Local Government chairman
\nfrom altering the original master plan of the rod market. Governor Ganduje
\nwho is said to have taking note of the development is currently in Dubai
\non official trip.<\/p>\n
The chairman of Dala Local Government Council, in his bid to intimidate
\nthe traders, last Friday, stormed the market with hundreds of thugs and
\nhoodlums, wielding dangerous weapons as labourers on his payroll opened
\nthe ground and started building the shops on the pathways of Alphamic
\nline. The presence of the hoodlums who constituted nuisance and threatened
\nthe peace of the market forced iron dealers to close for the day while
\ncustomers were scared aware. Pointblanknews.com reports that since the
\nincident last week, economic activities in the multi-billion Naira market
\nhas continued to drop as most traders stay aware for fear of being
\nattacked.<\/p>\n
However, Chief Alphonsus Ubaneche, member, Board of Trustees (BoT), Kofar
\nRuwa Iron and Rod Dealers Association, (KRIRDA), whose office is located
\non the affected Alphamic line speaks on the need for Governor Abdullahi
\nUmar Ganduje and other stakeholders to stop the chairman of Dala Local
\nCouncil from altering the original master plan of Kofar Ruwa iron and rod
\nmarket.<\/p>\n
His words: \u201cI am deeply disturbed and surprised over what is happening.
\nI keep on wondering why Dala Local Government chairman is taking this
\naction. I have been in this Kofar Ruwa market since 1987, that is over 29
\nyears; and I am aware that this market has existed for the past 35 years.
\nThe market has a master plan, and it has never been changed over the
\nyears. Many governments have come and gone, many council chairmen have
\ncome and gone and this market, and in particular, the Alphamic line has
\nbeen as it is\u2014why now that the Dala Council chairman has decided to
\ndestroy the market by building lock-up shops on the main road! This is
\nunfathomable and I keep on wondering what his reasons are.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn fact, let me reveal to you that I personally service that very
\nAphamic line where they are erecting the illegal structures. That is where
\nmy office is located and I am affected. Go and ask, every year,
\nparticularly during rainy season, I personally finance the servicing of
\nthat Alphamic line; that is, after paying taxes and levies and sorts of
\nrevenue imposed on us. Now, if you go ahead and build those shops on the
\nmain road, how are trailers going to bring in our goods? How would there
\nbe orderliness in the market. We all know what has been happening, in case
\nof emergency, say, a fire incident, how would people and vehicle gain
\naccess in and out of the market? So, I want to insist that something must
\nbe done about it. Now, if you talk about revenue, like I told you, we are
\neven being over-tasked. Each trailer loading and off-loading in this
\nmarket pay N2000.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are other levies too that run on daily basis. Let me also tell
\nyou that when you stop people like us from doing business, you should not
\nthink it is all about us or it is all about me. In this market, more than
\n30 people from different tribes in this country are directly or indirectly
\non my employment. This is where they get their daily bread, so I believe
\nsomething should be done urgently to stop this injustice. It is improper
\nto even ask us to pay for the space, a pathway and frontage of our shops
\nand offices which has been as it is for over 45 years. What an injustice!
\nWe are not paying a dime and the Dala council chairman should be advised
\nto concentrate on matters that will bring needed development in the
\ncouncil and stop this controversial project that is threatening the peace
\nof the people. So, what we are saying is that Governor Ganduje should
\nintervene and stop the Council chairman from erecting those illegal
\nstructures on the main road.\u00a0 We must have access to the market; we must
\nhave access to our offices. In this matter, we owe Dala Local Council
\nnothing; they should leave our market alone. Government as an institution
\nis designed to pursue the welfare of the people, not to frustrate them,\u201d
\nhe concluded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Stakeholders of Kofar Ruwa Iron and Rod market have continued to voice out their disapproval over the decision of Dala Local Government council chairman, Alhaji Suleiman Dan Isli to build…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48385,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48472","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n