NEWS
Abuja’s Civil Servants Transform Eagle’s Square Car Park Into Mini Market
In the midst of adversity, Abuja’s resilient civil servants have turned Eagle’s Square Car Park into a thriving mini-market, showcasing their resourcefulness and adaptability.
The transformation of this once-underutilized space into a bustling marketplace not only reflects the resilience of the human spirit but also provides a glimmer of hope amid the prevailing hardships.
What was once a vacant expanse of concrete has now become a vibrant hub of commerce, offering a wide array of goods and services. From fresh produce and handmade crafts to mobile phone repairs and tailoring services, the Eagle’s Square Car Park mini-market has become a one-stop destination for both civil servants and visitors alike.
The atmosphere buzzes with activity as vendors proudly display their wares, demonstrating their determination to overcome adversity through entrepreneurship.
For them, the cost of finding proper stalls to set up their businesses and services is more expensive than selling out of the boots of their vehicles.
A salesman for electrical appliances, Ogbu Godwin, who started the business seven years ago, said it was his only source of income and livelihood, adding that although the business started small, he had had to diversify to survive.
“I am not a civil servant; this is the only business I do to survive. Usually, in a day before, we make like N3,500. Then we were only selling phone chargers, power banks and stuff like that. Now, we make as much as N10,000 from the sales of extensions, repairing phones, and selling chargers and power banks. If I had a store, half of that would probably go into settling dues, and I cannot afford that,” he added.
A civil servant, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said although she had been in service for over two decades, her jewellery and clothing business had “always been to make ends meet”.
She added that although her five children were old enough to fend for themselves, she engaged in the business to stay active.
She said, “The business has always been to make ends meet. Whichever way you look at it, the economy is biting hard. It is not as if we are making any gains; we are just doing it to stay active because we are growing old.
“We hardly make sales unless in the first week when they pay workers’ salaries. And then we don’t come during the weekends or public holidays. If not for the POS service that we added, sometimes we may not make sales for a whole week. And even that POS, our only gain is from the charges. The volume of business has reduced drastically. The only thing making money for me for now is my cold room, but the weather effects that too because when the rain falls, nobody sees a need to buy anything that is cold.”
Speaking on the legality of her business, she added, “The good thing about this is I don’t have to pay any taxes because I can’t imagine paying taxes from my government job and doing the same for this business. I pay my salesperson N500 per day, just so she also has enough to survive. The unfortunate reality is nothing is coming into the business. So, I pay her from my pocket. I pay the person overseeing my cold room N250 per day, depending on how he sells; so these are the issues.
“Everyone selling in this place is struggling; it’s not easy for anybody. We are all just trying to survive. Nobody is making a profit; nobody is having a field day in the business. We’re all just trying to survive at this time. At least I do this alongside my job, for some people this is their only source of income and they can hardly make ends meet”.
Another saleswoman, who identified herself only as Bose, sold herbal tea, coffee, perfume oils and skincare products out of the boot of her car.
She said although she was not a civil servant, she struggled to make sales on a daily basis.
According to her, the cost of setting up a business in the nation’s capital made her decide to use the boot of her car as her store.
“I am not a civil servant but I come here every day to sell my products. After all, we must survive this economy one way or another. You can’t blame us for selling in this manner. The cost of a full business setup is not something that is easily affordable. You know it’s Abuja; before we pay rent, fix the shop, and pay dues, where is the rest of the money to stock up and sell? Let’s not even talk about other costs: electricity, transportation, repairing damage, paying salesperson, and so forth. Overall, this is the cheaper option,” she added.
Asked about the risk of being picked up by the authorities of the FCT for violating any state codes against illegal marketplaces, Bose replied, “What are they going to do? ‘Demolish’ my vehicle the way they demolish illegal structures? This is a public place. Don’t I have rights?”
Mallam Ibrahim, who sold men’s clothing materials, also stated that the nation’s capital did not encourage the ease of doing business as everything was always too expensive and unaffordable.
“Just this week, I have spent over N20,000 on fuel. That is to transport to a business that is hardly putting anything back into my pocket. And then to set it up in an official store is even worse; it’s a cost I cannot even afford to think about. So, this is easier for me,” he said.
African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has accused government authorities of repeatedly targeting him, declaring that he has been a threat to the government since he was 20 years old.
Sowore made the declaration during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, following an alleged attack on him and members of his team in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
The activist expressed frustration over questions about why he believed the authorities considered him a threat, insisting that attention should instead be focused on the circumstances surrounding the incident.
SEE ALSO: Sowore Challenges Okonjo-Iweala to Name Those Behind Alleged $2.4bn Subsidy Fraud
During the interview, Sowore alleged that the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Falade Adegoroye Michael, knew the individuals responsible for the attack, claiming that the commissioner visited them while they were receiving medical treatment.
“So he knew the people who attacked us,” Sowore said.
He further alleged that shortly after the commissioner left, the police issued a statement describing the incident as an altercation.
Questioning the circumstances surrounding the incident, Sowore also raised concerns about the alleged removal of CCTV cameras at the location.
“And why are they trying to remove the camera?” he asked.
Sowore also recalled previous encounters with security agencies, alleging that a tracking device had once been placed under his vehicle and traced to the Department of State Services (DSS).
“They placed a tracker under my car. It was traced to the DSS,” he said.
The AAC candidate further referenced an incident during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, alleging that he was abducted from a hotel in Lagos.
He also claimed that DSS operatives attempted to take him away from a court premises less than two months ago, but were resisted.
Responding to questions about why he believed the authorities were after him, Sowore described the line of questioning as condescending.
He subsequently declared: “I’ve been a threat to the government since I was 20 years old, and they have not given up on me.”
He added: “They want to kill me, and you know it.”
Sowore maintained that the central issue was the alleged attack in Ekiti rather than questions about his perception of the government’s attitude towards him.
“The issue is that we were attacked, unprovoked, in Ekiti State, and we have given you what happened,” he said.
He also challenged journalists not to pretend they were unaware of what he described as continued attempts to target him.
“Don’t pretend like you don’t know,” he added.
How the Ekiti Incident Happened
The controversy followed an incident at a restaurant in the Dalimore area of Ado-Ekiti on Friday, where Sowore and members of his team sustained injuries during a confrontation with some individuals.
Sowore had earlier raised an alarm on social media, alleging that armed men attacked his team and that their whereabouts were initially unknown.
In a post on his X account, he accused the attackers of being government-sponsored and alleged that the DSS provided them with his team’s location.
“We have been brutally attacked and injured by well armed government-sponsored thugs in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State,” he wrote.
He subsequently accused the security agency of providing the attackers with their exact location to facilitate the assault.
However, the Ekiti State Police Command disputed reports that Sowore had been kidnapped, explaining that officers responded to a distress call concerning an altercation involving the AAC candidate and some individuals at a restaurant.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, said operatives were immediately deployed to the scene and rescued Sowore before taking him to the Police Hospital in Ado-Ekiti for medical attention.
According to the police, Sowore sustained a minor injury during the incident.
The command also disclosed that the Commissioner of Police had ordered a discreet investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident, identify those involved and ensure that anyone found culpable was brought to justice.
Sowore subsequently rejected the police description of the incident as an altercation, insisting that he and his associates were attacked.
“There was no altercation! We were attacked!” he declared.
He also accused the police command of downplaying the severity of the incident despite what he said the commissioner witnessed during his visit.
The conflicting accounts have left questions surrounding the circumstances of the incident, with the police investigation expected to establish what transpired and identify those responsible.
The DSS had yet to publicly respond to Sowore’s allegations at the time of this report.
President Bola Tinubu has forwarded the names of six nominees for executive director positions at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to the Senate for confirmation, retaining three existing directors while introducing three new nominees.
The nominations were conveyed to the Senate in a letter from the President, according to a statement issued on Friday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The six nominees comprise three executive directors seeking reappointment and three new candidates proposed for different leadership positions within the petroleum regulatory agency.
SEE ALSO: Tinubu Promises to Boost Local Production with NNPC Refineries
The officials nominated for reappointment are Abiodun Adeniji, Executive Director of Finance and Accounts; Ogbugo Kalu Ukoha, Executive Director of Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure; and Dr Mustapha Lamorde, Executive Director of Health, Safety, Environment and Community.
The three new nominees are Mobolaji Tajudeen Musa, proposed as Executive Director of Hydrocarbon Processing Plants, Installations and Transportation Infrastructure; Ogechukwu Modie, nominated as Executive Director of Economic Regulations and Strategic Planning; and Said Abutalib, nominated as Executive Director of Corporate Services and Administration.
If confirmed by the Senate, all six nominees will serve five-year terms.
President Tinubu urged the lawmakers to consider the nominations expeditiously, stating that the appointments would ensure institutional continuity and strengthen the Authority’s oversight capacity.
In a related development, the President has approved the appointment of Jumoke Gafar as Secretary to the Board/Authority and Legal Adviser of the NMDPRA.
Her appointment is subject to the completion of the statutory processes stipulated under Section 46 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
The latest nominations follow Tinubu’s appointment of Engr. Rabiu Abdullahi Umar as Chief Executive of the NMDPRA in April.
The Senate’s consideration and confirmation of the six nominees will determine their formal appointment to the respective executive director positions.
In the bid to improve environmental sanitation, the Osun State Government plans to engage with immediate effect, able-bodied men and women as ad hoc road sweepers.
Biztellers reports that the exercise would cover designated areas of the state.
The recruitment exercise, announced by the Osun State Taskforce on Environmental Sanitation (OSTES) is open to medically fit able bodied men and women who are residents of the areas where they intend to work.
According to the public service announcement, applicants must be at least 30 years of age, medically fit and resident in their preferred areas of assignment.
READ ALSO: US Hails DPRP as Nigeria’s Petroleum Exports Surge Seven Times
The designated areas mentioned by the Taskforce include Akoda- Abere, Ataoja -Ogo-Oluwa, Olaiya -Old Garage, Igbonna -Ayetoro, Power Line – Ota-Efun and Kobongbogboe.
Other areas covered by the exercise are Ataoja- Dele Yes Sir, Stadium- Testing Ground and Ilesa- Garage, as well as Oke-Fia -Dada Estate, Dele Yes Sir- Lameco and Oroki Housing Estate.
Interested applicants are required to submit application letters to the General Manager, Osun Waste Management Agency, at its office located at the former Boreepo House, West Bye-Pass, Ring Road, Osogbo.
The announcement further stated that the deadline for submission of applications is Thursday, November 12th, 2026.
The recruitment is expected to support routine road sweeping and complement the state’s efforts to promote a cleaner, healthier and safer environment.
Applicants have been advised to ensure that they meet the stated requirements and reside within the areas where they seek to be deployed.
It would be recalled that the state governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, had earlier declared every Thursday of the week as Environmental Sanitation Day throughout the state during which offices, markets, shopping malls and homes among other public places are to be swept clean between 8am and 10am.
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