Nasir Imam
8 July 2009
Abuja — Hope for the re-opening of Garki Model Market dimmed at the weekend as the traders failed to present a common front for the purpose of engaging the relevant FCT authorities in a consultation towards the re-opening.
The Garki Model Market was closed down over two weeks ago by the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) for its poor sanitary condition. The board was recently quoted as saying that the re-opening of the market depended on the readiness of the traders to agree with it on some conditions that will guarantee the sustenance of the sanitary condition to be achieved after the cleaning.
The traders, under the aegis of Garki Model Market Association (GAMMA) have however gone to court asking it to order the re-opening of the market as well as stop the collection of Service Charge.
While challenging this order, Daily Trust gathered that the Abuja Markets Management Limited (AMML) in an affidavit questioned the locus Standi of the Applicant and averred that it was currently dialoguing with the authentic traders of the Market towards its re-opening, even as it submitted an attendance list of traders to the meetings to authenticate its claim.
But in a twist reaction, the GAMMA officials through a counter affidavit disowned the list describing it as "fictitious", an action that infuriated the traders when they got wind of it.
A trader in the market, who prefers to be anonymous, confirmed this to our reporter noting that they will today take further step to publicly disown their representatives who had gone to court on their behalf.
According to her, "we have gone very far with the Government agencies towards the re-opening of the market only for this group of the people who actually have no interest in the market to come up with this unsolicited effort to draw us back just for selfish interest."
Continuing she said: "we will have no option than to publicly declare that those so called GAMMA officials have no mandate either to go to court on our behalf or even represent us in any capacity."
.This reporter was later shown documents indicating that the Exco Members of GAMMA served out their terms in February 2009 and no election has taken place since then due to internal bickering within the Association.
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