Buying and selling of consumables like fruits are expected to take
place in clean and serene environments, however at the Zuba
International Fruit Market, they occur in an atmosphere of foul odour
from mounds of refuse.
As one approaches the market, the pungent odour from the market can
make one mistake the place for a large dumpsite with many rotten fruits
indiscriminately decomposing around its environs.
The stinking environment where trading activities take place is
brimming with scores of rotten fruits assailing everyone including
buyers of the perishable products in a clear violation of environmental
laws and a threat to public health.
Given the amount of environmental pollution the market generates, it
seems the traders are oblivious to the fact that trading in such a
filthy environment has several health implications as many of them
spread their wares on the muddy ground.
The market is a melting point for major fruit-producing states. About
500 trucks and lorries loaded with assorted fruits come into the market
each day while thousands of farmers, fruit sellers and buyers throng
the market to do business, Alhaji Nura Haruna, the chairman of the Zuba
International Fruits Market Association told Aso Chronicle.
"This market is the biggest in the North Central; people come from
Niger, Nasarawa, Kogi, and some eastern states to buy fruits here while
farmers from all over the country bring their goods for sale here," he
said.
"As people are offloading fruits from the trucks, pickup vans are on
ground to convey the produce to different locations in the FCT," Haruna
added.
A visit to this market leaves one wondering whether the fruits many
FCT residents consume actually come from such a filthy environment.
Aso Chronicle learnt that about 50 cleaners are employed to take
charge of cleaning the market but this has not saved it from the mess.
It was gathered that there is punishment for anyone that violates the
market's environmental law, but this law seems not to be effective as
the traders were seen disposing garbage indiscriminately.
While the activities of the traders constitute an environmental
challenge, the muddy road that leads to the central area of the market
affects free flow of both human and vehicular movements.
The road is narrow, muddy and congested with hundreds of people
struggling to find better way in and out of the market. Traders wear
rain boots apparently to reduce getting into the muddy and dirty areas
that characterize almost the whole market amidst the pungent stench
emanating from all directions.
The market is in shambles, a situation market officials said, is fast
reducing the volume of business activities there. Several accidents
have been recorded; vehicles sometimes slide and crash while trying to
gain access into the market, Aso Chronicle learnt.
"When it rains, the entire market will be muddied, affecting free
flow of movement through the tiny, muddy road," said a trader, Gloria
Opkuveru, who added that the situation is affecting sales as customers
find it difficult to gain access to the market.
"I remember some time ago - I think about two years or so ago - some
white people used to come here. One day, three of them came after it had
rained. They managed to walk their way out of the market without buying
anything," Issa Muhammad, another trader said.
He added that the condition of the North Central's biggest fruits
market frustrates farmers whose farm produce would go bad if kept for
days.
"Anybody who comes here and sees that a market that looks like this
exists in Abuja would be disappointed. We need a good garage for the
trucks to park after offloading the produce. We are constrained by
space, yet complicated by rain," said another trader who does not want
his name in print.
Ms. Esther Tyohee is a mango farmer from Gboko, Benue State. These
reporters maneuovered through the muddy path amidst huge crowd of
customers to meet her where she was selling her mangoes along with two
agile young men who helped her get customers.
Asked what she makes of the condition in the market, her response was
interrogative: "Are we not paying revenue? They know how to collect
money but don't know how to make the market good. Leave me alone
please," she retorted at the reporters.
The market union leaders decry the failure of both the Gwagwalada
Area Council authorities and the Federal Capital Development Authority
(FCDA) to entertain the several complaints lodged with them about the
road, despite the huge revenue generated from the market.
Nura Haruna said they have made several efforts to meet with
government officials to see what can be done over the terrible condition
but nothing happened. "They couldn't give us the attention we needed
and so we were discouraged to push the issue further," he lamented.
If we are generating huge revenue here for the government, why can't
they even put asphalt on the roads and the market to make activities run
smoothly? he asked, adding that they carry out minor repairs on the
road, using the revenue the market generates.
Aside the fruit sellers, dealers of electrical and electronic
materials whose shopping complex is situated along the muddy road said
they were facing hard times as a result of near-zero patronage due to
the bad road.
The dealers are worried that if the road is not rehabilitated, the billions of naira already expended on the shopping complex would be in vain.
Cletus Eze, the market chairman, said: "Of the over 700 shops in the
market, only 109 are occupied. Those who had done business here before
were forced to leave because buyers are not forthcoming.
"The money we spent on the project is just going down the drain; nothing is coming out of it," he said.
If the road is in good condition, the traders say the market has the
potential to generate millions of naira for the Gwagwalada Area Council.
They appealed to the relevant authorities to, as a matter of urgency,
look into the worsening and deteriorating conditions of the road and
the market.
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