METRO Finally, FCTA bulldozers demolish 30-yr-old UTC market for development

By Stanley Onyekwere

At last, bulldozers from the Development Control Department of the FCT Administration at the weekend pulled down the Area 7 Shopping Complex, popularly known as the Union Trading Company (UTC) market, thereby paving way for the commencement of its proposed remodelling, two years after an agreement was signed by Abuja Investment Company Limited on behalf of the FCT Administration with Urban Shelter Limited, in 2021.

It was gathered that there had been long standing pockets of resistance from a section of the over 30-year old UTC Market stakeholders, despite amicable resolutions backing the process for rebounding of the place.

However, as the UTC Complex finally goes down in ruins, the FCT administration insisted that the structure was over due for restructuring to fit into a Shopping Complex model required to grow Small and Medium Entreprises (SMEs) to address global business needs and challenges.

According to a Deputy Director, Monitoring and Inspection, Department of Development Control, Hassan Ogbole, the structures were defective, hence the need to upgrade it to the standard that will meet global business standards.

Ogbole revealed that provision for temporary place had been made for the traders and other occupants of the Complex to enable reconstruction of the place.

He also disclosed that adequate notices have been given to the occupants of the place , to enable them move out and allow the construction to start, but many of them refused to vacate, while some deliberately refused to move out.

According to him, “The place is in state of disrepair, the place is no longer habitable for occupation and business activities. The place has to give way for a New development.

“The company handling the development has informed

Development Control and we are here to enforce compliance. We have given them enough notices for them to remove their goods, to enable us start the work”.

Also speaking, the Secretary, Command and Control, FCTA Department of Security, Peter

Olumiji said demolishing the Complex was also needed to curtain the security challenges in the Area.

Olumiji noted that apart from restructuring the place to meet global standards, there was need to curtail the criminal activities prevalent in the place.

He disclosed that plans to remodeling the place, was carefully designed to end the thuggery that rubbishes the image of the place, especially faking of official documents.

For one of the affected traders, Samuel Onuchukwu, the traders and other occupants of the Complex were worried, because the temporary site provided for them, is not properly secured for business activities.

He disclosed that many of the traders were yet to remove their belongings from the shops and offices, when the the bulldozers stormed the place.

According to him, they woke up early Saturday morning to learn that the whole UTC area had been barricaded, and demolition going o , with some goods still entrapped.

Meanwhile, the technical coordinator, Urban Shelter Limited, Engr Ayodele Kolawole, during the inspection of the temporary market site, recently, said necessary measures have been put in place to ensure that no body is disrupted of his or her livelihood or be short changed.

He revealed that there are 480 shops in the temporary relocation site for UTC traders and shop owners who had over 472 shops in the place earmarked redevelopment.

Kolawole revealed that the remodeling, which will last for the period of two years would be done in phases, as part of the resolutions reached with the traders, shop owners, Abuja market management, Urban Shelter Limited and Abuja Investment Company.