By Mahmud Garba Shawai
In the late evening of Friday, Kano State Road and Traffic Agency (KAROTA), demolishes all extensions and temporary shops at the Sabongari market, Kano State. Prior to the bitter action, the agency gave notice to the owners of the shops to evacuate all their belongings for the safe and successful delivery of their assigned duty.
However, the general public is blaming different bodies for the cause of the action. Some are blaming Kano State Government under the leadership of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, others are putting the blame on Managing Director KAROTA, while from the view of others, the management of the market needs to be blamed.
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Indeed, roadside shops have positive and much negative impact. On the one hand, the owners of the shops do attract and hijack customers easily by seizing the advantage of them being at the peripheral of the market this enables them to make easy profits. On the other hand, a lot of damages are perpetrated and initiated due to the presence of such shops e.g. otiose holdup, illicit substance trading by some, poor management and maintenance of the shops by the owners, which resulted to terrible fire outbreak e.t.c
WHO TO BE BLAMED?
A large number of the affected folks mistakenly blame the incumbent government by misunderstanding and selfishness as humans, while others are blaming the government just because of rivalry and political inclinations.
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Categorically, the management of the market needs to be blamed first, because they legalize illegal trading thereby providing approval notes for the roadside shops just for them to generate revenue from them. In addition, KNUPDA has a significant role to play in tackling such actions, it’s the primary agency responsible for the growth, development, and beautification of the state. The agency needs to resolve mild issues regarding illegal roadside trading before they deteriorate and create damages that will affect the traders and the government.
Lastly, the government needs to compensate those shop owners that have legal and valid means of running their businesses within the razed arena for the betterment of their lives and businesses.
Mahmud Garba Shawai is the chairman North-West Youth awareness Foundation, wrote this from Kano
