Uthman Dafaan, President of Plateau Traders and Marketing Association, said the association had the capacity to rebuild the Jos main market in three years if given the opportunity.
The president disclosed this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Jos.
Mr Dafaan was reacting to a group’s call for suspension of proposed work at the market due to alleged ambiguity in the contract agreement.
The Plateau Executive Council had approved the reconstruction of the market at a cost of N9.4 billion, through a public private partnership with Jaiz bank Plc.
The agreement is for Jaiz Bank Plc. to be financier of the contract and at the end of it, they would sell 60 per cent of the shops while government would sell 40 per cent.
The buyers will be granted 40 years’ sub-lease by the Jos Main Market Authority, at the end of which the property would revert to the market authority.
Mr Dafaan said the association could finance the rebuilding of the market through contributions from its members.
“We the marketers can gather and rebuild this market within three years if we are estimating about N10 billion for the contract.
“If the bank does not want to rebuild or people do not want them to build for the marketers then let them call the marketers and engineers together.
“The contractors can come with the market design and we can finance it ourselves,” he said.
He condemned the tagging of the agreement with religious coloration, saying “there is no religion in markets”.
He urged the government to embark on proper consultation with target beneficiaries for its projects to ensure its success.
NAN
