Uche Amunike
The Federal Capital Territory Administration, (FCTA), Sunday demolished over 349 illegal structures in Lugbe-Across, along Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The exercise, which was tagged ‘2021 Mother of Clean-ups’ was led by the Chairman, FCT Ministerial Committee on City Sanitation, Ikharo Attah and some Security and Fire Service officers.
He disclosed during the exercise, that the operation was a part of the regular exercise on the Airport Road corridor to keep the gateway leading to the nation’s capital Abuja, clean.
According to him, the FCT Minister, Mallam Bello, paid a visit to the area recently in the company of the Commissioner of Police and some army officers and Security Chiefs in the territory and they were not pleased about the level of infringement they witnessed.
He stated that the Chief of Garki who was a part of his entourage, condemned the fact that the areas earmarked as parking lots have been converted to shops.
He acknowledged that the organic settlement was fenced for the residents waiting for resettlement by the FCT Administration but was disappointed that the plan had been contravened by those within the area, thereby violating the Abuja Master Plan.
He also alleged that people had turned the fence line to a motor park, charging the car owners N1000 on a daily basis.
Hear him: ‘In line with the Town Planning rules and to keep the city clean and safe, we are not going to be deterred. This comprehensive clean up shows that FCT Administration is committed to keeping the city clean’.
‘One of the key issues is to keep to the acceptable standards. If you are driving in through the Airport Road, what you see is not befitting’.
‘Abuja Environmental Protection Board is doing well by evacuating the heavy waste. There are dump sites at the back of the villages but some still come to the front to dump waste’, Attah concluded.
He averred that the objective of the exercise was to ensure that Abuja, especially along the Airport Road, was maintained in line with the best practices, orderliness and sanitation.
The demolition exercise which started at Lugbe-Across, Lugbe Berger, Car Wash and Lugbe Zone 5, lasted for 7 hours.
Recall that the FCTA Joint Task Force, JTF, demolished the Fulani Ruga Settlement sited very close to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, due to the contravention of sanitation regulations, in May.
Owing that the Airport Road is a major gateway to the city centre of Nigeria’s capital, every occupant is duty bound to comply with rules and regulations guiding the city plan.
The Ruga settlers were on their part, given a two-month notice to remove all contraventions but they refused to obey even after the Minister and key stakeholders collaborated with their district heads, and gave them notices and warnings.
This led to the contraventions completely removed, seeing that they made no efforts to obey the instructions given them.
