News reaching the ViewPointNigeria newsdesks indicates that the Plateau State Government is forging ahead with its plan for the re-development of the Jos and Bukuru metropolis as part of the Greater Jos Master plan. In this instance, the Kara cattle market behind Kugiya in Bukuru is set for demolition to allow for the building of communal structures in the area. And operators of the market have been asked by the government to relocate to a designated area in Gyero village –a move the residents are already vehemently resisting, citing a sinister plan by the state Government to dislodge them.

News reaching the ViewPointNigeria newsdesks indicates that the Plateau State Government is forging ahead with its plan for the re-development of the Jos and Bukuru metropolis as part of the Greater Jos Master plan. As such, the Kara cattle market behind Kugiya in Bukuru is set for demolition to allow for the building of communal structures in the area. And operators of the market have been asked by the government to relocate to a designated area in Gyero village –a move the residents are already vehemently resisting, citing a sinister plan by the state Government to dislodge them.

Chairman of Kara cattle market, Bala Muhammad, who spoke with journalists, said it was unfair for the state government to relocate them outside Bukuru in view of the security challenges facing the state. He said: “We will rather the state government demolish the market (with us inside) and kill us than to relocate us to a place outside Bukuru”. Saying that in the past, they had their cattle rustled and have not been compensated by the state government, so the idea of moving out of the area was out of the question.

The current Bukuru market has also been air-marked for demolition to pave way for the building of a stadium. And people who reside in the market have already been asked to produce their papers for possible compensation. The residents of the market are already threatening thunder and brimstone, saying they would simply not relocate quoting the areas as their parental abode, saying they had lived there for several generations and are not prepared to vacate.

Speaking, the chairman of Bukuru market, Yusuf Ibrahim, said the market recently cooperated with the state government to demolish over 400 shops to pave way for the construction of a road, and that it was unfair for it to now insist that the entire market and some residential areas be demolished.

One of the people who resides within the market with his family, said even if the state government compensates them, they have nowhere to go to because other communities in the city centre are congested and they are not favourably disposed to the idea of living in the outskirts.

At the time of filing this report, efforts were being made to contact the chairman of Jos South LGA, Mr. Peter Dung for comments.

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Jos Master Plan: Bukuru Market to be demolish, residents say they will ignore Government order