MAMMY MARKETS BOUNCE BACK
Life has gradually returned to mammy markets in military barracks in the country after they were shut down by the former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Abdulrahman Dambazau.
The former COAS, had sometime in January, this year ordered that the mammy markets be closed for business at 6.00 p.m instead of the usual 10p.m. He cited security concern as his reason for the decision following the absence of the late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua who was out of the country for medical treatment at that time.
The former COAS almost banned the sale of alcohol in the market when he sent out personnel from the military police to take inventory of the number of traders selling alcohol in the markets.
The closure of the mammy markets at 6p.m did not go down well with the entire soldiers of the Nigerian army who depended on the markets for their evening food when they close late from work.
The situation Saturday Sun gathered, forced many soldiers to go outside the barracks in search of a place to relax. In the cause of seeking a fun spot to cool off after a day at work, the soldiers often got into trouble with civilians.
However, the removal from office of Gen. Dambazau by President Goodluck Jonathan, brought relief to the soldiers who on the day the former COAS was removed from office immediately reversed the decision and returned the mammy market to it usual closing time.
Saturday Sun found that some of the mammy markets are still keeping to Dambazau's order of closing the mammy market at 6pm, saying they are yet to receive an order from the Army Headquarters in Abuja to for a reversal to what it used to be. To this end, soldiers are appealing to the Minister of Defence, Mr. Adetokumbo Kayode, as well as the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Onyeabor Azubuike to return the market to its usual closing time because the mammy market is the only place where soldiers can afford to buy goods on credit and also relax. 'Here in mammy, goods come cheap and while senior officers can afford to shop at big supermarkets, we can't and can only make do with the mammy markets', the soldiers called.