The General Manager Jos Main Market Authority, Mr Ya’u Isa Nzapisma, has cautioned against forms and space allocation racketeering by traders and officials of the market authority.

The GM, while responding to inquiries on alleged sale of forms and allocation of temporary business space at high prices within the market, said the authority would not condone any underhand deal in the allocation of shops.

Our correspondent reports that traders complain of buying a form at N15, 000 while an allocation for temporary business space goes for N50, 000 within the Jos Main Market.

Mr. Nzapisma, however, debunked the allegations, saying: “It is not true that forms are sold at higher prices, the price of each form is still N5,000 while processing fee is only N1,000:00. So for someone to say our firm is sold at N15,000 is not true.

“Once a trader satisfied the requirements as provided on the form, allocation of space is made for him at no additional cost,” he said.

According to Mr. Nzapisma, the market authority will not condone any act of racketeering, either by those traders that have gotten the form or are allocated space just for them to sales at exorbitant prices.

“We have some mechanisms in place to checkmate those unlawful actions, either done by a trader or any staff of the market authority. We will make sure that no body occupies more than one space in the market so that others can also get where to do their legitimate businesses,” he said.

Nzapisma said the main market authority had engaged all the critical stakeholders within and outside the market in a dialogue before stopping hawking and trading by the road side of the Jos main market.