Authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, on Monday raised the alarm over safety concerns and poor sanitation in Utako Market, threatening to shut it down to avert the epidemic.
Utako Market said to be one of the largest markets located in Utako district, within the Federal Capital Territory is being directly managed by the Abuja Municipal Area Council AMAC.
The Director, Department of Development Control, MUKHTAR GALADIMA who is also the leader of the FCTA taskforce on city sanitation, said the discovery of the deteriorated sanitation situation in Utako Market was disturbing.
MUKHTAR GALADIMA said there is an urgent need to clean up the market and ensure that disaster and epidemic are averted.
He expressed displeasure that such a market located within the heart of the city could be allowed by its managers to degenerate to a place where both human and environmental safety is compromised.
While he said that an urgent meeting would be convened with all stakeholders in the market, he insisted that proactive measures must be taken.
He said more worrisome was the fact that the market managers have illegally allowed the market to overflow into the major streets around Utako residential areas.
Also speaking, the Secretary of FCTA’s Command and Control, PETER OLUMUJI said apart from the nuisances in the area, residents around the neighbourhood, have also complained of security threats surging from the market.
OLUMUJI said the market has been overtaken by idle youths and suspected hard drug addicts.
While he said that no suspect was arrested, he noted that the National Drug Laws Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has been briefed to pay close attention to the market area, to curb the illicit drug peddling activities.