We’ll Not Be Tired of Demolition -Director
By: Wisdom Acka
Authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have vowed not to be tired of demolishing illegal structures and shanties in Abuja.
Director, Department of Development Control, FCT Administration, Muktar Galadima, made the vow during one of his team’s operations aimed at sanitating and removing shanties all over the city.
The team also held sensitization meetings with some of the residents on the ills of Abuja Master Plan abuses and also prepare their minds ahead of impending demolition exercises.
His words: “Part of our strategy to get more compliance was to intensify citizen-engagement. There is need to tell the people why we are doing what we are doing so that they will not see it in bad light.”
“You can see that the people were happy for giving them the chance to say their minds and their side of the story. We needed to carry them along. When they fail to cooperate is when we show high handedness. We have given them time to remove their valuables”, he added.
He revealed that his department would do a proposal to the FCT Minister and if approved, the FCTA may begin arresting culprits of the Abuja Master Plan abuses because their activities were posing serious problems in terms of city management, security and health challenges.
He disclosed that his department was dedicating one week to removing shanties at the corridor of Arterial road M12, behind Kado Naval estate. “We will remove those speculative trees because they are giving cover to people of the underworld”, he said.
Secretary, Command and Control Unit, FCTA department of Security Service, Peter Olumuje, revealed that seizure of different hard drugs were made, and two persons arrested over allegation of drugs offences.
“Most of the people living in those settlements are involved in one crime, atrocity or the other. We have children growing up in these areas,” he said.
“The girl child is in danger of being molested. The boy child is in danger of being introduced to drugs at an early age”, he warned.
He also stated: “We have also noticed that those shanties have become safe havens for criminals who operate and rub people in Gwarinpa, Mabushi and other locations and hibernate around there”.
“Once these places are removed, crime within the FCT will be reduced. No government will allow this to happen within the city,” he stressed.
Also speaking, an Assistant Director in charge of Enforcement in the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, Kaka Bello, warned against poultry farming in highly developed areas within the city.
According to him, farming within the city was illegal, warning residents to desist from such practice, as well as scavengers against setting up of illegal settlements within the city.
