The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) made a suggestion on Tuesday that the organisation is worried about how people use their hard-earned money to erect illegitimate constructions beside roadways.
Comrade Ikharo Attah, Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to FCT Minister, spoke on behalf of the administration and swore to never waver in his commitment to tearing down all illegitimate structures along road corridors.
He dropped this clue on Tuesday in Abuja as soon as his enforcement squad attacked Gwarimpa and tore down unlicensed restaurants, vehicle washes, and shanties belonging to suspected criminals.
According to him, “This is part of our ongoing cleanup in Gwarinpa district, there is so much illegalities, ungoverned space, inappropriate development, criminal hideouts and activities in the area.”
“And this is part of strategy in reclaiming road 69 and we are discovering more and more things we have never seen. Nobody would ever believe people are living here. We also discovered that every single one whose houses are close to this road corridor are blocking their windows so that people cannot come into their houses, many are increasing their fences so that criminals cannot jump through it.”
“Why would people build large structures without any approval and spend so much money , it is very painful here but we need to keep Abuja clean and safe for everyone. The Minister has given a matching order to go and do our jobs and we must go out daily to do this.”
“So many shanties, illegal restaurants, mechanic workshops etc.”
Speaking on the arrest of a suspected drug dealer, he noted, “It is normal thing to discover drugs in this type of society, people are arrested for possession of illicit drugs. What they cannot do in sane society they do, because they have cover.
On sustainability, he said there is no going back on ridding Abuja of illegalities.
Bashiru Yahaya, one of resident in the shanties, lamented that, they are less privileged and it is poverty that made him built a shanty.
“It was condition that made us to build shanties. It is because of poverty, we are not happy leaving here, he said.