Following a recent fire near Kubwa Village market in Abuja’s Bwari Area Council that claimed six lives, officials from the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have decided to start massive demolition of structures that are causing obstructions in the area.
Traders, shop owners, and others encroaching on major corridors and undesignated areas around the market and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp in Kubwa were given a 24-hour vacation ultimatum by the FCTA on Monday.
Kaka Ali, the Acting Director of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), said that during a pre-demolition exercise in the area, the FCT Department of Development Control will demolish all structures that fall within the non-regulated areas for trading.
According to Ali : “We are here to sanitise the market and environs, following the recent incident of fire outbreak caused by explosion of an illegal kerosine tank depot in the area.
Read more: FCTA To Demolish Illegal Shops, Shanties In Village After Kubwa Market Fire
Following a recent fire that claimed six lives near Kubwa Village market in Abuja’s Bwari Area Council, officials from the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have concluded plans to begin massive demolition of structures that are causing obstructions in the area.
The FCTA issued a 24-hour vacation ultimatum to traders, shop owners,
Read more: Kubwa Market Fire: FCTA To Demolish Illegal Shops, Shanties In Village Market
Nine years after its botched plan to demolish several structures in Mpape, a bustling town adjacent the highbrow Maitama District in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA on Wednesday rolled out its bulldozers, pulling down over 2, 000 illegal structures in the area.
Most of the affected structures were roadside shanties, containers and others said to be obstructing traffic flow.
Wednesday’s demolition came after over three months of official notices and warnings to owners and occupants of the said structures.
In August 2012, the then Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke had in a letter, advised the FCT, and its then minister, Bala Mohammed, not to demolish houses in Mpape until a case instituted against the Administration at the Federal High Court was dispensed with.
Nine years after, the bulldozers invaded the quarry town, a development the FCTA said was necessitated by calls from residents and landlords who had made passionate appeals to the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello to save them from the traffic gridlock that has made life unbearable in the area.
Chairman, FCT Ministerial Committee on City Sanitation, Ikharo Attah said Mpape Residents and Landlords Association had six months ago begged the Minister to come to their aid as illegal commercial activities had taken over the road corridors.
Attah noted that the sanitation and demolition was long overdue and it was targeted at roadside shanties and other unapproved buildings causing obstruction along the road
He said; “Mpape demolition was requested by the residents and landlords who came to FCTA requesting the Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello to come and clear the road corridors.
“So, what we are doing is in line with the request of the people who want the road corridors to be reclaimed so that there will be ease of movement. As a responsible government, we responded to the cries of the people.
“We gave them enough notice, but many of them were holding on to the erroneous belief that nobody can clear Mpape.
“One of the residents who has lived in Mpape for over 20 years has confessed that people can now breathe in fresh air because of the widened road”.
Also speaking, Secretary, Command and Control FCTA, Peter Olumuji said many of the shanties and the illegal structures demolition were being occupied by criminal elements.
Olumuji noted that over time, reports had shown that criminal activities were on the increase in Mpape, because of so many shanties providing cover for them.
He said, “this part of Mpape harbours the highest number of criminal elements and a lot of criminal activities which the residents have been complaining about.
“What the FCTA is doing here today is to ensure that the mandate of securing the city is carried out”.
Nine years after its botched plan to demolish several structures in Mpape, a bustling town adjacent the highbrow Maitama District in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA on Wednesday rolled out its bulldozers, pulling down over 2, 000 illegal structures in the area.
Most of the affected structures were roadside shanties, containers and others said to be obstructing traffic flow.
Wednesday’s demolition came after over three months of official notices and warnings to owners and occupants of the said structures.
In August 2012, the then Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke had in a letter, advised the FCT, and its then minister, Bala Mohammed, not to demolish houses in Mpape until a case instituted against the Administration at the Federal High Court was dispensed with.
Nine years after, the bulldozers invaded the quarry town, a development the FCTA said was necessitated by calls from residents and landlords who had made passionate appeals to the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello to save them from the traffic gridlock that has made life unbearable in the area.
Chairman, FCT Ministerial Committee on City Sanitation, Ikharo Attah said Mpape Residents and Landlords Association had six months ago begged the Minister to come to their aid as illegal commercial activities had taken over the road corridors.
Attah noted that the sanitation and demolition was long overdue and it was targeted at roadside shanties and other unapproved buildings causing obstruction along the road
He said; “Mpape demolition was requested by the residents and landlords who came to FCTA requesting the Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello to come and clear the road corridors.
“So, what we are doing is in line with the request of the people who want the road corridors to be reclaimed so that there will be ease of movement. As a responsible government, we responded to the cries of the people.
“We gave them enough notice, but many of them were holding on to the erroneous belief that nobody can clear Mpape.
“One of the residents who has lived in Mpape for over 20 years has confessed that people can now breathe in fresh air because of the widened road”.
Also speaking, Secretary, Command and Control FCTA, Peter Olumuji said many of the shanties and the illegal structures demolition were being occupied by criminal elements.
Olumuji noted that over time, reports had shown that criminal activities were on the increase in Mpape, because of so many shanties providing cover for them.
He said, “this part of Mpape harbours the highest number of criminal elements and a lot of criminal activities which the residents have been complaining about.
“What the FCTA is doing here today is to ensure that the mandate of securing the city is carried out”.
INSTRUMENT OF CONTROL
Its operating instrument is the Development Control Manual. This manual outlines general policies and also set out clear procedures and Guidelines for Regulating Development Control Activities within the FCT. It is structured into three main parts namely;
A copy of this manual can be obtained in the account section of the Department at Zone 6, Wuse.