Authorities of the Federal Capital Territory have resolved that markets in FCT will be allowed to open for buying and selling on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays while the deadly coronavirus lasted.
According to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Markets in Abuja will not operate more than three time in a week.
To this end, the FCTA on Tuesday did direct the Abuja Markets Management Limited (AMML) to ensure compliance with the new template of operation which is in line with the guidelines issued by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
The new guideline states that 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.
After a meeting on Monday, April 6 between officials of the FCTA and relevant security agencies, it was agreed that the new arrangement will be fully implemented in the FCT, a statement by Anthony Ogunleye, Chief Press Secretary (CPS) for the FCTA said.
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“Markets in Abuja will now operate only three times weekly; that is on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, from 10.00 am to 2:00 pm.
“This means that after the close of market activities on Wednesday, April, 8th, the next market day will be on Saturday, 11th April 2020,” he said.
According to the statement, the measures were 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 ports of the various markets as well as activities of the traders, he added.
Ogunleye enjoined FCT residents to support the efforts of government and also patronize markets within their neighbourhoods rather than going to the major markets in distant locations, in order to prevent a possible spread of the virus between communities in the FCT.