By Chris Onokpegu
Maureen Okonkwo visited Abuja for the first time and her way to the residence of her sister’s place, she was held up at Wuse bus-stop very close to the market. She never believed that she was in the Federal Capital Territory as the last time she experienced that was in Lagos when Oshodi was still existing. Okonkwo claimed that she spent over 30 minutes before getting home.
When Maureen visited Abuja, Wuse to be precise for second time, she became confused. She was forced to ask questions from passengers to be sure whether where she was, was the Wuse market she visited the last time she came.
The area has taken a new shape. The usual hustling and bustling that used to be noticed in the area have disappeared. The commercial bus and taxi drivers who normally park at the bus-stop and cause unnecessary traffic congestion have been sent parking. The bus drivers have been restricted to a motor-park or Berger junction while the taxi drivers now operate under the Wuse market bridge.
Before now, commercial bus drivers pick passengers to the satellite towns - Kubwa, Zuba, Suleja, Nyanya, Karu, and other places while the taxi cab operators also park by the entrance to the market to pick people who prefer to take drop to their various destinations.
Some passengers and commercial drivers expressed their feelings to this magazine about the new development; while some commended the actions, others condemned it.
The head, Information and Outreach Programme of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, AEPB, Joe Ukairo said the banned on commercial vehicles from operating in the Wuse market area became necessary in order to sanitize the market.
He claimed that the area was becoming notorious for street hawking, indiscriminate parking and traffic bottlenecks. “Commercial vehicles drop passengers anywhere; anyhow they like and pick passengers in the middle of the road. The board wants to stop hawkers and street traders along the market road so that there will not be traffic jam in that area.”
Recent visit shows that the area which is known for rowdiness is new calm; quiet like a graveyard. One can easily count the number of people passing through the area unlike before where there were traffic and human jams.
Environment experts believe that Wuse Market, which is Abuja’s busiest market, is the cause of the traffic jam in that area. Because of where the market is sited, (in the centre between the higher and lower cadre in Abuja), availability of everything including perishable items, and the reasonable prices of things, the market remains the residents’ choice for shopping.
Meanwhile, director of Abuja Environment Protection Board, AEPB, Alhaji Isa Shuaibu during a raid mission of illegal hawkers within the market premises recently said the popular Wuse market, might be replaced with a secondary school by the Federal Capital Territory Administration soon.
He said, “The market attracts a lot of trading activities, especially through hawking, which has been prohibited by the FCT authorities. The authorities will have no choice than to comply with the original concept of the Abuja master plan, which originally planned for a secondary school to be located here.
“The Minister is considering the removal of the market as I speak to you; he has set the plan in motion, though it will take a long time but definitely the market will be removed.”
Wuse Market is seen as a melting pot of people from different backgrounds, with different personalities and temperaments. Traffic becomes stiff because the parking spaces in the market are not enough compare to the number of people that patronise the market. The parking spaces are not enough hence shoppers jostle for the few spaces.
The new park and pay policy is in force and most shoppers know that even when it’s hard finding a place to park your car within the market, this is still better than parking in undesignated areas. Apart from altercations with other shoppers over parking space, you may have to worry about having your car scratched or even worse bashed.
During rush hours, one is bound to become a victim of some sort of altercation. Apart from traffic jam, constant human traffic, noise and general drama are also noticed. Hawkers, beggars and touts are also not left out as they also have their own share. There have also been cases of theft and other illicit acts around the area.
Residents of that area are not finding life too comfortable as they wake every morning to notice filth all over the place including their compound. Unlike in Ghana where traders sweep their markets before going home, it is the reverse in Abuja especially Wuse market.
A resident, Ambrose Emenalo said they appreciate a clean environment but sadly, the first things you notice when you visit Wuse market is the piles of refuse and waste in front of their high-rise buildings. This is really unacceptable for a market so ingrained in our daily lives and supplies most of the food we consume. It poses a health risk and generally acts as a painful eye-sore.”
Emenalo’s neighbour, who simply gave her name as Mrs Grace accused the Police stationed at Wuse of contributing to the traffic jam in the area. She alleged that they extort money from the commercial drivers and allow them to pick passengers on undesignated areas. She noted that traffics are held up mostly due to commercial buses and taxis competing amongst themselves for passengers.
She claimed that touts have also capitalized on that by intermediating between the commercial drivers and the police officers on duty.
The fact that Wuse market is near the strategically important Wuse Bus stop which is a beehive of activities, makes the traffic around the market reach fever pitch during rush hours.
However, to sustain the present state of the market area, Isa Shuaibu, assured that the operation would be sustained and warned hawkers, street traders, and other illegal operators to steer off the market and its precincts or face arrest and prosecution.
He warned banks and other businesses bordering the market against condoning hawkers in front or around their offices stressing that AEPB would be left with no option than to seal off the office of any company found guilty of such illegal acts.
Mr. Shuaibu said that the sealing off of the TOTAL Service station should serve as a deterrent for other big companies condoning hawkers and street traders.
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