Tyre and heavy motor spare parts dealers in Azikiwe Street Aba have kicked off the construction of N1.5 billion specialised market to create more room for dealers.
To give effect to the construction of the market with capacity for 1,200 shops, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed with AHMPATSA, Unity Bank, the project financiers and Logistics De-Luke Ltd, the contractors, Thisday reports.
The state government had already unveiled plans to relocate most of the market clusters out of the centre of the bustling commercial city to free it from encumbrances in the ongoing efforts at urban renewal.
However, traders under the aegis of Aba Heavy Motor Parts and Tyre Sellers Association (AHMPATSA) said that they would not wait for government to take them by surprise with forceful eviction hence their decision to build their own market at Alaoji.
Speaking at the ceremony, the chairman of board of trustees (BoT) of AHMPATSU, Chief Phillip Ezekwem said that said that the dream for a specialised market for trye and heavy motor spare parts dealers started in 1994 and with the signing of the MoU , “the journey is coming to an end“.
“Our problem is over after signing the paper works as work would commence immediately,” he said, assuring that “we are going to fulfill our own part of the deal.”
The chairman of the developers of the new market, Logistics De-Luke Ltd, Mr. Raymond Aliga noted that the AHMPATSA has become the only market association in the Southeast zone that has acquired land, designed their market and got a developer to build it.
He said that the new market was strategically located within the axis of Abia, Imo, Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Cross River, adding that the market would be ready in nine months.
