The Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), has launched a new standard measurement “Mudu” for traders of grains in all the 17 markets located in the area council.
Mr Abdullahi Candido, the Executive Chairman of AMAC, during the launch on Friday at Gosa Market along airport road in Abuja, said that usage of the new measurement took effect from Dec 10,.
Candido said that the concept of the new standard measurement also known as Mudu was to ensure that value for money was appreciated by traders.
He noted that failure to comply by traders and market managers would attract sanctions by the council.
“By the common standard, we short-changed traders, those who buy grains are usually being short-changed and therefore we felt it is better we get a proper measurement that can add value to the money being spent.
“This is why the council decided to reinvent its own measurement which has just been launched and takes effect from today Dec 10.“
The new measurement for selling and buying of grains in all AMAC market is made of plastic, it cannot be adjusted and any attempt to adjust will only destroy it which can no longer be used.
“So all markets in AMAC have to key into the usage of this new measurement and any person or market that trades outside this new measurement is going to be sanctioned by the council.
“The new plastic measurement that cannot be adjusted as the old measurement has come to stand and stay,” he said.
Candido said that strict compliance would be enforced on the usage of the new measurement, as supervision and monitoring team would be put in place.
“We are going to ensure strict supervision and monitoring of the measurement by traders and where traders or market managers fail to enforce the usageboth the traders and managers will be sanctioned.
The AMAC Chairman who also commissioned a newly constructed toilet facility and a solar powered water borehole at the market, cautioned traders against abuse, poor usage and poor management of the facilities.
“The market managers and traders must put these facilities to good use, because we know that we have this mentality of destroying anything that is government.
“Please you must ensure that the hygienic nature of the facilities are maintained because it is a privilege and an assistant to the council and to the market.“
“And we will monitor the maintenance and ensure that the property are not abused,” he said.
The AMAC chairman urged the traders to protect, secure and trade within the market space peacefully
.He disclosed that Gosa market had been identified and approved by the Minister of FCT and was now under the AMAC.
Candido said that the AMAC authorities were now working to establish the market beyond its current state to become AMAC’s biggest regional market.
He said that the council was already working to ensure the perimeter fencing of the market to ensure security for both buyers and sellers
.“We are taking steps to ensure that the perimeter fence of this market is secured; we have already gotten the approval from the Minister of FCT.
“What is expected of you is that you don’t trade very close to the roads, because once the market is secured by fence, any person found behind the fence has committed an offence and would bear the full consequences,” he said.
Mr Galadima Bango, Chief Market Manager, AMAC, lauded the initiative of the council to reinvent its measurement for grains in order to ensure value for money.
Bango urged buyers to insist on the new measurement when buying grains in any of the AMAC markets and to report non compliance to the market managers.
The launch of the new standard measurement by AMAC was in collaboration with Segaba Int’l Company Ltd, and the Water toilet facility and solar powered borehole were provided with support of Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), in partnership with AMAC.