Following the proposed demolition of the popular United Trading Company (UTC) complex located in the central area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to give the complex a facelift, the FCT administration has decided to relocate over 472 shop owners and traders to the completed temporary site.
The technical coordinator of Urban Shelter Limited, Engr Ayodele Kolawole, who disclosed this during the inspection of the temporary market site, said necessary measures have been put in place to ensure that nobody is disrupted of his or her livelihood or shortchanged.
Kolawole said the UTC market building was becoming a slum and a threat to the lives of traders and customers, considering its years of existence.
He revealed that the remodeling, which will last for two years, would be done in sections, as part of the resolutions reached with the traders, shop owners, Abuja market management, Urban Shelter Limited, and Abuja Investment Company.
He said before the commencement of the remodeling plan, all parties involved had agreed with the minister of FCT endorsement.
“The temporary market site for the relocation of UTC traders and shop owners from the existing market is ready, there is nothing to fear, they had over 472 shops there but in the temporary site, the shops are 480.
“The market is going to be redeveloped, Minister of FCT wants the environment to be facelifted because the area is becoming a slum. The minister had directed that the market should be given a facelift, and the facelifting is the redevelopment, total redevelopment.
“The developer, Urban Shelter with Abuja Investment Company Limited has put a human face in the matter right from the beginning. They do not want to push people away from the place they are earning their daily living and throw them into confusion, that is why we have put the necessary measures in place to migrate the traders to the temporary site.
“Before the decision, there was a town hall meeting between traders, the executives, and members including other key stakeholders, and they both agreed that they will move to the temporary site, aside from the temporary side there were options given to them, but they said they don’t want to go far away from their business environment because of the fear of losing customers,” he said.
