El-Rufai assures traders on new Kaduna shops allocation

Panic-buying bloat price of hand sanitisers
Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai has promised that none of the traders in the state will be short-changed in the distribution of shops upon the completion of the new Kaduna markets.

The state government had earlier this year embarked on urban renewal projects in Kaduna and markets were marked for reconstruction.

Responding to a question from a caller during the media chat at the weekend, the governor reiterated that the data of all shop-owners were being collated.

El-Rufai also promised that no government official or civil servant would be allocated a shop in any of the markets under reconstruction.

He, however, told the traders that they were just tenants in the market belonging to the government.

According to him, Kasuwar Barci in Tudun Wada area of Kaduna South Council, Kasuwan Magani in Kajuru Council, Kawo market in Kaduna North, as well as Sabon Gari market in Zaria, will be rebuilt with modern facilities.

Kaduna Markets Development and Management Company (KMDMC) will handle the projects through Public Private Partnership (PPP), he stressed, adding that concerns of small traders, who might not have money to re-purchase their shops upon completion, had been addressed.

Government has already entered a mortgage arrangement with some banks, whereby they will give the traders money to purchase the shops, while the banks will hold onto the Certificates of Occupancy (C of Os) until their mortgages are liquidated, he added.

According to him, the re-payment plan is flexible, as it will take five years to liquidate the mortgage.

“The principle is that instead of paying monthly rents, the shop-owners will pay these monies to the bank to offset the mortgage,” he explained.

Decrying the situation whereby people were calling government officials names because of the market re-development project, the governor said that posterity would judge his administration positively for embarking on the project.

Following the rise in number of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the country, the demand for hand sanitisers increased in Kaduna pushing the price to the sky.

Residents of Kaduna yesterday resorted to panic-buying of essential commodities to prepare for national lock-down, and hand sanitisers happened to top the list of their purchase.

The Guardian observed a slight traffic gridlock around Sheikh Gumi market, as major routes leading to markets became busy and provision stores recorded high patronage.