Jos traders appeal to Plateau govt to implement relocation policy

October 23, 2012 10:30

NAN-H-11

Traders

Jos, Oct. 23, 2012 (NAN) Traders at the new Jos market, on Tuesday, appealed to the Plateau Government to effect the relocation policy of all street traders to the market.

A cross-section of traders, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said that the government’s inability to enforce the relocation policy was adversely affecting their businesses.

They alleged that the continuous presence of traders at un-designated areas around terminus and Rwang Pam street areas of the city had prevented customers from patronising them at the new market.

NAN learnt that the new market comprises 3000 stores for traders and other businesses but less than 400 stores are currently occupied by traders.

NAN reports that most traders prefer to do business around the terminus area as against relocating to the main market.

Mr Chineye Godwin, a trader at the new market, complained that most traders at the new market were going bankrupt due to low patronage.

He said that most customers preferred to buy at the terminus open market and urged the state government to come to their aid by relocating all traders at the terminus axis to the new market.

``If you notice there are no customers, people are not coming but if the government will pursue people from terminus because it is from there that we came here, but other traders refused to relocate. ''But we that are obedient came here and we are suffering, the whole money we came here with, all has finished.

``What we are asking the government to do is to help us; ask those people to relocate so that the market will have one face; so that customers will come here.”

Mr Chidebere Nsofor, another trader at the market, told NAN that the relocation of the Terminus motor park to the New Rukuba Road motor park would also improve patronage at the new market.

He appealed to the state government to consider the relocation of the market alongside the motor park in the interest of the law abiding traders at the New Rukuba Road market.

``They should make use of the park so that the people coming in from far places could join vehicles inside the park.

``If this park is properly utilised, we would not be suffering here today.”

Mr Arinze Ugwu, also a trader at the market, said that the relocation of the motor park from the centre of the city to Rukuba road would aid the development of the market.

He lamented that most of the traders at the new market were presently operating at a loss due to low patronage.

Ugwu said that some traders who could not cope with the hardship were already leaving the market for other locations within and outside the city.

``The people occupying the shops here are not up to 200; the money that we brought here has already finished because of the expenses we are incurring couple with low patronage; every day we eat; and we are not making up to N500 a day as profit.

``There is low patronage at the market here because many people coming from inter-state don’t come here; they don’t patronise us; there is no park here.

``We are appealing to government to help us here so that the traders scattered around the town can join us here to enable us build this market for us to benefit.”

NAN reports that the new market has been equipped with basic facilities such as water, electricity and security. (NAN)

JZ/MSAD

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