How Jonathan commissioned controversial market in Abuja

This shop buyer paid non-refundable N50,000 to All Purpose Shelters Limited to get an application form to fill for purchase of a shop at the Wuye Ultra-Modern Market, Abuja. She then paid another N4.4million to the same firm for Shop Type C in the market. By the time she was doing the payment, she was […]

This shop buyer paid non-refundable N50,000 to All Purpose Shelters Limited to get an application form to fill for purchase of a shop at the Wuye Ultra-Modern Market, Abuja. She then paid another N4.4million to the same firm for Shop Type C in the market. By the time she was doing the payment, she was assured that the market would be commissioned soon so she would reap plenteously from her investment.
True, the market was commissioned President Goodluck Jonathan, with his wife Patience  in tow.
The ceremony was big. Top serving and former government officials among them the governor of Benue State Gabriel Suswam with his wife Yemisi, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Bala Mohammed, former Senate President Iyorchia Ayu were present. Suswam’s wife was particularly elated.  

To Jonathan it was a feat
Before declaring the market open, President Jonathan said, “I’m informed that the Ultra-Modern Market was developed in collaboration with All Purpose Shelter Limited, a Nigerian company. I therefore, commend the FCT Administration for once again

deploying the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) project delivery model to accomplish this feat.
Similarly, FCT Minister Bala Mohammed stated that the Wuye Ultra-Modern Market is another success story by the FCT Administration (FCTA) under PPP project execution model.
“We hope this will serve as a catalyst for economic growth and enhancement of commercial activities within Wuye District in particular and FCT at large,” he said, adding that the developer will manage the facility for the duration of the reversionary period of 13 years, after which it will be transferred to Abuja Investments Company Limited (AICL) to manage on behalf of FCTA. AICL, the business development and investment holding company for FCTA stood in between FCTA and the developer.

Ghost market
 Daily Trust reporter who visited the market recently said the place was completely without the hustle and hassle that characterize such a place. Apart from security personnel, four persons who said they were staff of All Purpose Shelter Limited were sitting chatting in the administrative block of the market. They declined to give information.
In response to our letter to AICL demanding reasons for non use of the facility, the Legal Adviser of AICL, Mrs Francisca Ibezim acknowledged that though the property was under encumbrances, the president was still invited to come commission it. The letter dated Aug. 13, 2014 stated clearly in paragraph seven that the High Court of FCT had since May 22, 2013 “issued an injunction…ordering parties to maintain status quo with regards to the operation of the market pending the determination of the said matter”.
Because of this, those concerned with the matter continuously ask what was the motive behind bringing the president to commission a market which suffers restraining orders from court. The president’s spokesman, Reuben Abati could not be reached.
 However, now that issues about the market are emerging, a source said the president might have been convinced to come “open” the market by his wife who might have been in turn persuaded by a governor’s wife who constantly hobnobs with the president’s wife. The source points at the gigantic structure in the market bearing the name Dame (Dr) Patience Faka Jonathan Block as a pointer that the first lady might have been convinced.
It was said that a day to the commissioning of the market, the complainants attempted a protest with placards but were subdued. They promised to disrupt the commissioning ceremony but the heavy presence of armed security personnel scared them away.
A source in AICL equally acknowledged that there is a caveat on Wuye Ultra Modern Market. She said “big powers” cajoled the president to go commission the market believing that with that, all the encumbrances would be easily cleared but it has not worked. She said despite the controversy, All Purpose Shelter Limited is still beckoning to investors to come put down stakes in the market stressing that she has had to counsel many investors against falling into the trap.
Media aide to the FCT Minister Nosike Oguenyi declined speaking on the matter citing the court case. A source in the FCTA told this reporter that the contract was given to the owner of All Purpose Shelters Limited when the present governor of Benue State was House Committee Chairman on FCT.
When we visited the company’s website, all we saw was Company Name: All Purpose Shelter Ltd. Address: Plot 1134, Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse II, FCT, Abuja, Nigeria. Phone: 09-2731439.

The rant of NANTs
Abuja traders are quite unhappy. Chairman National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTs), FCT Chapter, Prince Edozie Ugwu said traders were not carried along in the Wuye market project. NANTs is umbrella body for all traders in Nigeria.
He explained, “Even the day that market was commissioned traders weren’t aware. Traders aren’t carried along even in the allocation of shops in that market. How the allocation was done, traders don’t know. The commissioning, just like every other person saw on television, that was how traders also saw on television that that market was commissioned.
“People were calling me from various markets – chairman you’re aware that this market would be commissioned and you didn’t carry us along. I told them no formal invitation came to NANTs. I saw somebody representing the traders. I asked myself, is this person really representing the traders? Was she elected by the traders?
“Actually, Mr President went to commission it. I’m sure he was invited to go commission it…But if you look at it very well, you’ll know there’s more to that commissioning.
“If the market was commissioned and the traders that are meant to stay in this market aren’t aware, that’s to say that there’s politics going on. It’s high time we tell our government, each time it wants to do something concerning traders, markets, plazas, they should get the real traders themselves, not Political Traders Association but the real traders association so that these things government is doing for the people will get to the grassroots.”
Investigations showed that this place captured as Plot No.116 Cadastral Zone B03 was allocated to traders initially when Bakasi Market, the old Wuse market was demolished. Traders were given direct allocations by Aba Gana, the FCT Minister at the time as compensation to traders that were displaced.
During Nasir el-Rufai’s time as FCT Minister, these allocations by Gana were nullified. According to NANTs chairman, “We received complaints and we wrote FCTA but we got no reply. We sought meeting the minister. Each time we went there they would tell us they would call us till that place was commissioned. A lot of things went wrong.”
The situation now is no buying and selling are taking place in the market because of court cases. Individuals that got the place initially went to court seeking to reclaim their titles to the property. Meanwhile, the developer still beckons to unsuspecting public to come put down stakes on the disputed property.
The multi-billion naira Wuye Ultra-Modern Market with 2,000 shopping facility was built on 7.3 hectares of land. This is the only market in the whole of Wuye district. FCTA’s principal role was the provision of land and primary infrastructure while the developer provided project finance and the technical capacity for the project implementation.
On Sept. 18, 2013, AICL was served a Writ of Summons commenced by earlier allottees. Yet the market was commissioned by the president on Feb. 6, 2014. Anyone who goes there only finds a ghost market.