…As Ndume Throws Weight Behind FCTA, Says We Must Obey Rules, Regulations Of Abuja,
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Wednesday begun mass demolition of shanties built on green and flood plain areas behind the Old Federal Secretariat and Dunamis Church in Area 1.
Our correspondent observed that, tz wo Development Control bulldozers swiftly crushing over two hundred structures mostly constructed with local bricks hitherto used for residential and commercial purposes.
It would be recalled that the Administration had in February, 2022 issued a demolition notice to owners of the illegal structures with reminder on 1st March to leave the place.
Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the minister, Comrade Ikharo Attah while briefing newsmen on the enforcement exercise said the spate of shanties in the area was worrisome and need serious clean up.
He regretted that the secretariat that houses the Ministers of Interior, Trade and Investment have been taken over by the illegal structures which constituted security threat to the nation’s capital.
Attah explained that the demolition followed series of complains received about the area from security agencies and strategic persons, recently.
His words: ” It is a lot worrisome, we have been receiving series of complains from security agencies and strategic persons, so as part of our efforts to clean the federal capital of shanties we have to start the pulling down of the illegal structures.
“The FCT Administration will not allow shanties to take over ministers of Interior and that of Trade and Investment with other key ministries.
“It would have been done since last year but because of the wet season we had to leave it till now, dry season, even now is not easy but we have to do it. We warned them time without number to vacate the place”
Speaking on claims by owners of the illegal structures that they were Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Borno state, Attah said the IDPs were few in numbers at the fringes of the Dunamis church and near the main road.
Meanwhile, Senator Ali Ndume who represents Borno South in National Assembly visited the area during the exercise and called for profiling of the IDPs.
Ndume said, “we are all Nigerians, we must obey rules and regulations, there is nothing wrong demolishing structures serving as security threat to offices belonging to senior government officials, therefore let all of you that know that you are IDPs write down your names for proper documentation” he said.
