By Caleb Ayansina & Funmi Olasupo

The Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide has commissioned community markets worth N3.516b in two satellite towns of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

FCT Minister of State, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide cuts the tape to declare the Karu market open while Messrs Obinna Chukwu, Micah Jiba and Zephaniah Jisalo watch.

The two projects located at Karu and Lugbe in the Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, were solely financed by the Aso Saving and Loans Plc. Karu Community market development which is worth N2.176 billion, commenced in 2011 as one of the FCTA projects. The market consists of 1,405 shops, made up of various sizes of lock-up shops and an open market place.

Occupying a land area of 54,330m2, the market is equipped with a fire service station, police block and an administrative block among other facilities to ensure conformity with the global standard.

In a similar vein, the Lugbe Relocation Market which was initiated in 2012, gulped N1.34 billion. The market consists of 998 shops across three floors. Facilities provided include banking halls, restrooms and office spaces, among others.

Akinjide who spoke at the commissioning ceremonies, said the two projects were initiated by the FCT administration to provide quality infrastructure for residents of the nation’s capital.

She described the projects as another landmark achievement by the AMAC Administration, and eloquently demonstrates the Administration’s passion to bequeath to posterity, some indelible footprints in the sands of time.

”I am also most delighted to observe that these are evidences of the harvest of the Transformation Agenda of Mr. President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, which has been designed to cascade down from the Federal, State to Local governments. These developments, indeed, satisfy the yearning of the people and the expectations of traders, who have craved for better service and improved facilities in the Area Councils,” she said..

The Minister commended the developers – MjS Del-Trazi Ltd. and MjS Road Development Construction Ltd. for their continued partnerships with the Council as well as the quality of their works.

In his remarks, the Managing Director of Aso Saving and Loans Plc, Hassan Usman said the company, as a leading Primary Mortgage Institution, PMI in the country, had “identified the development of commercial facilities as crucial to the development of our nation’s economy.”

The PMI, he explained had partnered with the AMAC and the FCTA to facilitate the development and sales of several markets in different places in the FCT.

Usman reiterated their commitment to provide the enabling environment for residents through collaboration with the FCTA and other relevant bodies.

“With projects such as these, we believe that the FCT is on the right track to improving the standard of living of its residents,” he said.

Also speaking, the AMAC, Chairman Mr.Micah Jiba, commended the FCT administration for its support and commitment towards the successful execution of the projects.

Jiba noted that the projects were executed through innovative strategies and Private- Public-Partnership, PPP arrangements.

The Chairman appealed to all beneficiaries to keep faith with the structures and purposes for which the facilities and shops were provided, saying “this is necessary to avoid the sanctions that will follow cases of abuse.”