Mohammed Haruna Yusuf
29 June 2008
Markets are central to economic and business activities and therefore their importance to national development is undisputed. Garki modern market, which lies at the centre of a business district in the FCT, is no exception.
Business activities in the market have suffered a severe blow as a result of power blackout experienced for the past five months. As a result, the traders were left in a state of anguish and despondence.
Sunday Trust investigations have also revealed an unending tussle and struggle for supremacy between the Garki Modern Market Association (GAMMA) and the Abuja Markets Management Limited (AMML).
A tailor, Ado Salami, blamed the miserable situation on the traders association who have been at loggerheads with the market management.
He noted that he consumes 6 litres of petrol daily to run his generator which has made him operate at a considerable loss in the past couple of months, adding that it is very unfortunate because the traders don't know how long it would take to put a smile on their distressed faces.
Salami maintained that he pays rent of N180, 000 per annum and also pays a monthly tax of N1000 for security and GAMMA respectively adding that these caused him a lot of discomfort for paying for a service he does not benefit from.
A fabrics dealer, Emmanuel, said that power outage in the market has done a lot of damage to the traders and the irony is that the traders have been paying their bills yet they were victims of circumstance.
He said that since February, the market has been in total darkness adding that only those that can afford power generating sets make smooth operations, but then the huge cost of fuelling the generators poses another threat to the traders.
He alleged that the disagreement between the traders association and the market management has been the major factor that has impeded the process of power restoration in the market.
A trader, Uncle White explained that for the past 3 years GAMMA has been responsible for collecting monies from traders, but on assumption of duty, the management of AMML discovered some major irregularities in the collection scheme adding that the AMML made this known to the Garki district office of PHCN and the market was eventually disconnected.
A frozen foods seller, who identified herself only as Chioma, narrated that the problem started with the new management of AMML because when they came in, there was this problem of accumulated bills which the management tasked the traders to pay to PHCN before the lights would be restored.
Chioma urged the government to be steadfast in overhauling the management structure of AMML.
AMML's Public Relations Officer, Mr. Innocent, said that all these problems started before they took over in August 2006 from Aso Tim-Doz Company which was in charge since 2002 noting that the AMML met an outstanding debt of N16, 244, 735. 67 as at August 2007.
"On assuming duty, we met on ground the traders association (GAMMA) which consisted of only 3 members, Chairman, Secretary and the P.R.O. They wanted the market management to recognize their presence and as an organization we do have a standard based on the experiences we had in other markets, so we urged them to remain silent," he said.
"We later initiated a block representation for traders because we believed that every block has its own peculiar problems and having these representatives, the traders would have a good representation. After engaging the traders in dialogue we discovered serious extortions by the traders association.
"As a result of this unaccountability, we challenged GAMMA to bring forward previous payment records which they failed to present. They brought forward the sum of N200, 000 which they claimed they were able to realize from the traders.
"The ostensible fraud by the traders association made the PHCN manager of Garki District to order the disconnection of the market. After we came into office, we went to PHCN office to investigate the cause of power outage and we were shocked on receiving an outrageous bill of N 21, 483, 827. 59 as at March, 2008 , accumulated by the market," Mr Innocent said.
The market management said that in 2007, PHCN issued a bill of N5, 052, 620 but the association made a chicken payment of N1, 010, 500 noting that the AMML has proper and strict records for internal and external auditors to audit their accounts.
The P.R.O. maintained that an average of 1200 vehicles troop into the market daily and there are various categories of tickets: cars are charged N50, pickups N100, while vans pay N200 as gate tolls.
The market, according to him, realises some revenue from gate tolls and therefore, at present, traders do not pay for any service charge and the management takes the burden of providing security and refuse evacuation which is outsourced by AEPB but financed by the market.
Mr Innocent also blamed the traders association for the purported rift between GAMMA and the Hausa traders who pulled out from the association due to irregularities as a result of which the association made enormous efforts to dislodge the traders because of their refusal to pay their bills.
The Abuja Modern Market Limited noted that everything has to be sorted by dialogue and that they have the intention to hold a meeting with the traders in order to proffer a lasting solution to the market's crisis that has bedevilled the traders and hindered business activities.
Speaking to Sunday Trust, the Secretary General of GAMMA, Mr Dayo Williams Ojeneye, said that the main purpose of the association is to protect the traders' interest in the market adding that since the commissioning of the market in 1999 by Gen J.T Useni, the association has worked with the former management, Aso Tim-Doz Investments before the Abuja Modern Market Limited took over.
He noted that when AMML assumed duty, they called for a meeting which was presided over by the then manager, Deacon Micheal John Okpo, who was accused of being very autocratic by the traders. GAMMA also accused him of using authoritative words such as "we don't deal with unions" adding that there were series of demands from the AMML that contradict the association's obligation.
The secretary maintained that AMML wanted to hijack the responsibility of the traders association adding that AMML directed PHCN to disconnect the electricity.
Dayo explained that the set up of Garki Modern Market is quite different from other markets in the FCT. While Wuse market is a property of the FCDA, he said, Garki market was conceived under public/private partnership through FCDA and in conjunction with Abuja Property Investment Company.
According to him, during the management of Aso Tim-Doz, GAMMA took over the responsibility of paying PHCN bills on behalf of the traders as a result of a mass protest by traders challenging the prudency of the then management noting that the traders suspected the company.
He said that the traders are major stakeholders in the market because their money was used to build it and on no account should AMML make an attempt to dislodge them.
He also said that the tussle came as a result of AMML managers' remark that the AMML is the rightful owner and manager of the facility adding that the traders have their own documents and certificates to back their claims.
"What ever amount we collect, we pay the management and they further pay the PHCN; we also asked them for the payments bills which they did not produce," he said.
"Based on the agreements we made, the Business Manager of PHCN, Garki business district office has given a deadline for payment to commence and therefore we are supposed to collect money so as to meet up with the demands. Therefore the light has been restored and he has threatened to disconnect the market again if we fail to oblige," Ojeneye added.
The traders' position was further buttressed by the Chairman of GAMMA, Prince Edozie Ugwu who lamented that the Abuja Modern Markets Limited is an illegal manager of the facility because they have been disobeying court orders.
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