Minister of the FCT, Muhammad Musa Bello has approved the opening of markets in Abuja all days of the week.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by his chief press secretary to the FCT minister, Anthony Ogunleye, after a virtual meeting held with members of the FCT COVID-19 Response Team.
The federal capital territory administration (FCTA) had in April asked markets in the territory to open only for 3 days.
According to the statement, the extension from 3 to all 7 days was necessary to decongest the markets.
The statement reads as follows:
“The Honourable Minister of the FCT, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello chaired a virtual meeting between members of the FCT COVID-19 Response Team, senior members of the Administration and members of the Coalition of FCT Market Chairmen and Secretaries led by its Chairman Mr Raphael Okorie.
“The meeting deliberated on the request by the Coalition of FCT Market Chairmen and Secretaries for the operational days of FCT markets to be extended to all 7 days of the week as against the 3 days weekly that is currently in effect.
“Consequent upon this meeting, the following resolutions were reached:
“As part of measures to decongest the markets in the FCT and further check the spread of COVID-19, market operations have been extended from three days a week to all 7 days in the week from 7:00am to 6:00pm effective from Thursday, 30th July 2020.
“The Abuja Market Management Limited and various market associations will continue to carry out sensitization activities to enlighten market users on COVID-19 and the necessity of obeying all extant health and safety protocols.
“Access to the markets and operations within the markets will only be permitted with the wearing of facial coverings and adherence to all extant health and safety guidelines inclusive of hand washing and maintenance of physical distancing.
“However, failure by the Coalition of FCT Market Chairmen and Secretaries to fully implement these guidelines, the FCTA will be compelled to withdraw this extension.”
