Re: Relocate Madallah highway market

Your daily trust editorial, of Monday, December 31, 2018, page 44, on the above subject is well put. There is no much need of going into details on the menace of the Madallah highway market, which has cost so many lives and properties, more than two decades now. The problem still persist and increasing on […]

Your daily trust editorial, of Monday, December 31, 2018, page 44, on the above subject is well put. There is no much need of going into details on the menace of the Madallah highway market, which has cost so many lives and properties, more than two decades now. The problem still persist and increasing on daily basis, constituting numerous dangers to the entire road users on this all important highway.

While we have to appreciate the need for people to engage in lawful enterprises for their socio economic well-being, hence the location of markets for such activities, however the authorities should always consider first the people’s safety and security. The current cosmetic approach, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) is legitimately doing, cannot be a long term solution, and is not sustainable. Instead the relocation of the entire market from the ever busy highway, no doubt should be viewed by the authority, as a better solution, after due consultation with the relevant stakeholders. I share and concur with your editorial views that the market should be relocated.

I had an experience due to my concern on the dangers of the market remaining on this highway, as a onetime zonal coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), north central, which Niger State was then part of before the current structure. I remember as the zonal coordinator then, I made similar suggestions to the Niger State government through its State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), sometime in 2009. Though the Niger State government took the matter very serious, and was willing to do right thing as suggested, but along the line some resisting interests, I was told then sentimentalised and politicised the matter.

Today, this same matter remains unresolved; this has also lead to more loss of lives and property. Similar efforts were made as was referred to in your editorial, advocating for Tankers/trailers parking sites within (Tafa Village) on Abuja-Kaduna highway, this somewhat is the boundary between Niger and Kaduna states. In the end there were no encouraging outcomes from these efforts.

I would therefore like to use this medium to appeal to the federal government, the Niger state government, to stop this carnage, by been proactive, so as to ensure safety of lives and property, particularly the danger posed by this Madallah highway market, it should be relocated.

 

Alhassan Danjuma Aliyu, Minna, Niger State.