By Tanimu Muhammad
Few days to the celebration of the Eld-el Kabir by the Muslim faithful, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA ) has prohibited proliferation of illegal markets within the city.
Chairman of the FCT Ministerial TaskForce on City Sanitation, Ikharo Attah, Tuesday, in Abuja during a sensitization campaign at the markets, stated that FCT Minister, Mallam Muhammad Bello, refused the proposal of the ram dealers to create such markets, to avoid abuses of the city’s aesthetic make-up which gulps energy and resources to maintain.
Attah revealed that the administration cannot allow the gains of the ongoing city aggressive sanitation to be swept away by such illegal markets, which going by hindsight has serious sanitation and environmental consequences on the city.
He noted that FCTA has approved ram markets at Kugbo, Dei- Dei and all the Abattoirs within the city where both sellers and buyers and those selling other animals can interface for their trade.
He further clarified that the Minister was also considering the option of creating a temporary selling points at some outskirt locations, where ram dealers could use and two days after the celebration, the places will be dismantled and disinfected.
According to him, ram dealers who defy the directive to sell at the illegal markets would have their rams confiscated and distributed to orphanage homes, prisons and other vulnerable persons.
He further stressed that a Mobile Court will sit to try violators and an order of permanent forfeiture would be sought over confiscated rams, while convicted violators will face the law.
” The Minister of FCT, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello in his decision as the manager of the city, said we should not allow indiscriminate ram markets to come around every corner within the city during this Sallah period.
” The Minister said there are approved selling points within the FCT, the Dei-Dei ram markets, Kugbo and some of the markets within the Abattoirs. Also we have approached the minister on the need to have designated selling points, because the rams coming into the city during the celebration may overwhelm these approved markets.
” we will not be allowing every street to have ram markets, especially at the hearts of the city. We have warned those involved in the illegal markets to desist, because any ram we find in the illegal markets will be confiscated and the Mobile Court will sit for us to apply for permanent forfeiture for the rams. The rams will be given to those in, orphanage homes and others”, he stated.