Fresh turmoil is brewing in Plateau State over the insistence of the state government to relocate traders to areas around the popular Terminus area, which suffered a twin bombing on May 20.
The markets around the area, which the government wants demolished, are Terminus, Abuja, Railway and Yan Haya markets.
Sources said that the state government, through the Jos Metropolitan Development Board, had given the traders up to August 8 to evacuate their goods to allow for the demolition of the areas or face forceful ejection. The markets have been locked up since the incident while the major road to the market has been blocked, creating a heavy bottleneck for motorists trying to link Bauchi and Dilimi road with Murtala Mohammed Way
But the traders have fired back, accusing the state government of racial prejudice. They have also filed a case at the Jos High Court to restrain the government from forcefully ejecting them and demolishing their stalls.
They alleged that the plan to forcefully evict them was based on a reason that they are Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, which, according to them, was in breach of Governor Jonah Jang’s oath of office, pursuant to Section 180 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The case is expected to commence on Monday (today) before Justice Philomena Lot. The Chairman of the traders, Alhaji Sabo Adamu, said that the traders have not received any notice asking them to quit. He vowed that they will fight it out with the government.
The Chairman of the JMDB, Maj. Gen. Musa Gambo (retd.), had told newsmen that there was no going back in the plan to demolish the area. He said that the representatives of the traders had held several meetings with the traders, where they were asked to relocate to Kwararafa, Kabong or new Rukuba road satellite markets.
He said, “The whole area has been an eyesore until the bomb blast because the traders have refused to move to the markets provided for them. He was however silent on the suit filed by the traders.
The Secretary of the JMDB, Amos Dushu, said that the board received the summons from the court, adding that the court would decide on the next line of action. He said, “The board has received the court papers and we are appearing on Monday. The court will decide the next line of action.”
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