Panteka: Where scrap turns to wealth
In the scalding heat of late afternoon blaze, many young men with sweat streaming down their athletic backs and hurried gait move to and from the expansive premises of the scrap market. The pace of the activities at the market hangs precariously on the frenetic. Many of the boys can be seen beating to pulp […]
In the scalding heat of late afternoon blaze, many young men with sweat streaming down their athletic backs and hurried gait move to and from the expansive premises of the scrap market. The pace of the activities at the market hangs precariously on the frenetic. Many of the boys can be seen beating to pulp different sizes of metals, a few gingerly handle intricate pieces of marble which they place in ubiquitous piles across the market. The sound of hammers pounding aggressively on wood leads the eye to another area of the congested market where a group of youths are also seen carving out wooden products for sale. There are other areas of this market open to the inquisitive: the section where used household materials and building products lie scattered for inspection of potential buyers, the glass section where used glass products beckon equally and a small section where bicycle materials can be found. Zigzagging the park behind mammoth wheel barrows are youngmen carrying things across the parks for employers and customers alike. Welcome to Panteka.
Panteka market serves many purposes. But two stand out clearly. It provides scrap products and second hand goods to buyers who need these for diverse uses. It also provides a real venue where dealers in scraps can offload their various products (for a fee of course) to business minded individuals who would turn same into precious articles for sale. Buyers of these products, repair these goods or put them in shape for sale to the public. It also serves as a market where prized iron materials and products are sold. Apart from metals including second hand household items and upholstery such as glass products are on display. What sets the market apart however is the presence of hundreds of youths who find jobs to do in the market the for some stipends. Many of them help in refurbishing items bought by their ‘masters’ so that they would attract potential buyers. A large percentage of them, huffing and puffing in intense mid day heat, simply engage in the strenuous activity of conveying goods for (traders and patrons of the market alike) usually iron products across the length and breadth of the market.
The market is ensconced right inside popular Utako park. However one could walk endlessly inside the park and the large park and yet not find the scrap market known in Abuja as Pantheka unless they inquire about its precise location. This is because serial attacks by inrasions the city’s environmental task force have led to multiple relocations by the traders inside the park. Now they are located deep inside the park ostensibly so that they can easily move their products quickly before the rampaging task force team gets to their site. A public toilet serves as a veritable camouflage that disguises the true location of the market. At least except for nimble intuition, anyone would believe that there is no such market behind the sordid public utility.
The scrap domain provides business oportunites for another set of people, dozens of them: repairers of these faulty products. One of the repairers of the products, Chinedu is seen this hot afternoon bent over a couple of flawed bicycles. His mission is putting them back in top shape so they can be resold. He does this of course on commission basis. ‘I am the only one around now. The owner of the products has gone out. I have to repair these cycles so that they can be resold. It is a tasking job but it has its own financial benefits,’ he briefly chats with the reporter and promptly goes back to his job.
Chairman of the Association of Fairly Used Building Materials Dealers, Panteka, Alhaji Misbahu Abdullai told the reporter that the market existed for over 25 years. ‘We started first in the old Wuse market before moving to the new market. It was in about 2005 that we came here where we were given as permanent site. Since then all efforts to secure a permanent site has been unsuccessful. Panteka simply means ‘part taking’ but it has been corrupted as Panteka by the Hausa community here. Here we deal basically with fairly used building materials which include iron, wood, tiles and plastic tanks including glass. Most of the materials we sell here are acquired from renovation and demolition sites. We also go as far as Lagos and Dei Dei to get the products which we sell here.’
He adds that the basic challenges facing them was limited space for trading and power supply. ‘Those are our basic challenges which we urge the government to help us out with. The place is overcrowded. This market provides jobs for many youths and residents and also provides a viable option for those who want affordable cheap materials for building of homes. Also here we do not discriminate against any tribe or religion so we are a perfect example of real interreligious and tribal harmony.’
Chimaroke Nnaji, a dealer in glass scraps says the market patronage has reduced drastically over the years due to challenges it has been facing. ‘Then it was a widely visited market even attracting people from other parts of the country but that has changed today,’ he tells the reporter. He adds: When we started we used to make huge profits but that is not the same today. Apart from that the continuous raids by the FCT environmental task force has dealt a huge blow on us. They said they want us to relocate from the market or at least reduce the space our goods occupy in the market but you know that is not possible since scrap business requires space. Most of the time, they just come and seize some of the goods as a form of warning for us to leave. But we have no other business to turn to so we just stay put despite these raids,’ he laments.
Olanrewaju Kabiru, an indigene of Osun State is a trader in aluminium products. He says that he employs over 10 youths. “I came into the 20 years ago and have not regretted it ever since. It is profitable and helps to put food on my table as well as of others. I am just praying that we get a permanent site soon so that the congestion here will be a thing of the past. Also the issue of electricity is paramount as the cash we use to fuel our generators daily reduces our profit margin…’