The chairman of the Kilishi Traders Association has appealed to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to provide them an alternative place to do their business in the wake of a demolition exercise that displaced many of the traders from an undeveloped land behind the Area 1 Shopping Complex in Abuja.
KOKO TV NG recalls that the Kilishi market, which was initially designated as a parking area to support the shopping complex based on the revised 2018 FCT masterplan, was demolished after a notice issued by Muktar Galadima, the FCTA Director of Development Control was publicised.
Speaking with the Whistler, Lawali Abubarka, Chairman of the Kilishi Traders Association, appealed to the minister to consider relocating them to their original location once their work in the current area was completed.
Abubarka remarked, “I was in Zamfara when I heard about the demolition. We discussed it with the market management, and they expressed their intention to organize the area for us, which we agreed to. If the government promises to relocate us after they finish their work, then the demolition can be seen in a different light.
“We appeal to them to bring us back to the market when they’re done because we’ve spent over thirty years here, selling this Kilishi. We’re not in conflict with the government; we’re requesting that they consider us so we can continue our business and cooperate with any necessary measures. We’re here to earn a living and address our challenges.”
Abubarka emphasized that Kilishi was their only source of income, with many exporting the beef jerky to various countries.
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According to him, they consistently paid their monthly dues to the government, even before their stalls were demolished.
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He said, “All we’re asking is for the government to consider us. We’ve been here for a long time, and we faithfully paid all the monthly fees they required. We had at least 70 stalls in the market before it was demolished, and each vendor paid a monthly fee of N2000.”
Furthermore, Abubarka highlighted the fluctuating nature of the Kilishi business, which sometimes yielded substantial profits and at other times was less lucrative.
He explained, “This Kilishi business has its ups and downs. On good days, we can make up to N100,000, and on bad days, we struggle to earn N10,000. Many people purchase Kilishi here and export it to countries like Canada, the UK, the United States, and Dubai.”
Other stakeholders in the complex, including buyers and neighboring businesses, expressed their concerns over the sudden demolition and its impact.
They called on the government to consider traders, emphasizing the importance of the Kilishi sellers in the local economy.
