Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) said it has concluded arrangements to start the enforcement of the 6 p.m. closing time at Deidei market to address insecurity and traffic gridlock at Dutse-Alhaji axis in Abuja.
The Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Mr. Ikharo Attah, stated this at the weekend at a consultative and strategy meeting with heads of security agencies and paramilitary organizations in charge Dutse-Alhaji axis.
He decried the continued violation of traffic regulations by motorists in the area during the peak period which he noted was the major cause of gridlock in the area.
He said the traders don’t have closing time as they mill over the main road and clog the road whenever they finish transactions.
“FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, who met the traffic management team as part of Dutse-Alhaji axis, asked us to clear traffic in Nyanya and Dutse-Alhaji. Why we are meeting is because we have already seen retrogression on the job we did in September. We collaborated with other security agencies like Road Safety, VIO, Police, AEPB, all of us are working in that axis to address environmental and traffic issues,” Attah said.
He noted that the task force will also look at Sokale roundabout in Dutse and proffer solutions to some of the challenges there.
“We will clean the Dutse market and remove all the illegalities there and ensure they have closing time. The market does not have a closing time and it affects traffic, security and other things. People close their shop as late as 10pm which is not good for the city at all. Once the market closes by 6pm, everyone goes home, everyone will know they are done for the day.”
He stressed that the minister is committed in ensuring the free flow of traffic in Dutse-Alhaji and also restore sanity in the market.
In his remarks during the meeting, the Assistant Director of Enforcement, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Kaka Bello, lamented the return to the market in full swing by scavengers, stressing there is need to remove them.
