Traders Protest Planned Demolition Of Kaduna Market
By AMOS TAUNA, KADUNA – Traders in Barnawa market, Kaduna South Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on Friday staged a peaceful protest, condemning Governor El-Rufai’s plan to demolish the entire market, just as they protested plans by the state government to relocate the market to a new site.
Speaking to newsmen in Kaduna, the Chairman of Barnawa Marketers, Alhaji Abdullahi Suleiman, said the market has about 600 shops, explaining that most of the occupiers either built the shops by themselves or bought the shops or inherit them from their parents.
He expressed dismay that with the 10 days demolition notice earlier given by the state government, there was no consultation with the traders on the modalities that would be taken to carry out the exercise.
He added that almost all the shop owners are people whose means of livelihood depend on what they realise from their sales, saying, “You can see for yourself, the caliber of people protesting that they should be allowed to carry out their normal activities here in Barnawa are poor who are living from hand to mouth.
“We are appealing to Governor El-Rufai to please look at our plight and consider what we are passing through to please allow us continue with our business, as it has been all these years.
“We have also written a joint letter to the governor not to demolish Kasuwar Barchi, Kurmin Mashi, Railway Station and Barnawa markets, but to listen to the voices of the masses to allow them do their businesses without any problem. ”
The protesters carried placards calling on Governor El-Rufai to desist from his plan to demolish the markets in order to erect modern ones, pointing out that such action would deny them ownership of the shops they are presently using.
