COVID 19: Abuja Markets To Open Thrice In A Week.
AMINA HUSSAINI, Abuja
In compliance with the new guidelines on the operations of markets by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Abuja Markets Management Limited (AMML) has ordered that only food and groceries’ sellers are allowed in the markets all over the territory and to open to customers three days in a week.
The directive to the Abuja Market Management came from the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) which restricts transactions at the markets to only the food and the essential items’ sellers who are allowed to operate between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays only.
“The new guideline says only shops and stalls selling food and groceries shall be allowed to open to customers between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm on alternate days or less frequently” according to Anthony Ogunleye, the Chief Press Secretary to the FCTA.
The decision was the highlight of a meeting held Monday, April 6 of the FCT Administration officials and relevant security agencies, where it was agreed that the new arrangement should be fully implemented in the FCT.
Accordingly, after the close of market activities on Wednesday, April, 8th, the next market day will be Saturday 11th, April 2020.
Ogunleye in a statement issued early Tuesday stated that the restrictions to only foods and essential items sellers and only three days are part of measures being employed in addition to other social distancing measures already put in place to limit the spread of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic in the FCT.
“Market Managers and the FCT Police Command have been directed to ensure compliance with this directive by monitoring all entry and exit points of the various markets as well as activities of the traders”.
He hence sought the support of the FCT residents to the efforts of government and also patronize markets within their neighborhoods rather than major markets in distant locations to prevent a possible spread of the virus between communities in the FCT.
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