Plateau Opens Bid For Burnt Market Reconstruction

By Raymond GUKAS, Jos

Twelve would be technical partners have indicated interest for the reconstruction of the Jos, Plateau state Ultra Modern Main Market as the Project Implementation Unit (IPU) of the Plateau State Government opens submissions of the bid for the project.
The state IPU is comprised of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Jos Main Market Authorities, and Plateau Investment and Property Company, PIPC which has the mandate for the rebuilding of the burnt Jos main market that was gutted by fire about two decades ago.
The brief ceremony for the opening of the submissions for the bidding was done at the Cabinet office of the state Secretariat.
The main market was first constructed during the administration of Chief Solomon Dauship Lar in the second republic and was gutted by fire on the 12th February 2002 to be precise.
The market which was then considered among the biggest in West Africa had served people within the country and the West African sub region was very important to the economy of the state.
It would be recalled that previous administrations in the state have made promises to rebuild it but lacked the political will to execute the project.
In his remark, the Chairman of the IPU, Ezekiel Gomos said the transparent bidding process was part of the promise of the government of Simon Lalong to establish confident in the running of the administration of Plateau state.
Ezekiel Gomos who is also the Chief Executive Officer, CEO of Jos Business School and one time Chief Executive of the PIPC stated that the gesture to rebuild the market marks the implementation of the industrialisation policy thrust of the government of Gov Lalong.
He assured the bidders of government’s total commitment in the rebuilding process and intimidated them that soon they will be communicated of further positive development regarding the bidding.