FCTA begins sensitisation, marking of settlements on rail corridors
Officials of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) alongside the Department of Development Control yesterday kicked off sensitisation of settlers in Ruga Village, one of the settlements situated on Abuja Metro rail corridors, expected to be cleared before its test run. Aso Chronicle gathered that the sensitization will be followed by comprehensive marking of all structures […]
Officials of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) alongside the Department of Development Control yesterday kicked off sensitisation of settlers in Ruga Village, one of the settlements situated on Abuja Metro rail corridors, expected to be cleared before its test run.
Aso Chronicle gathered that the sensitization will be followed by comprehensive marking of all structures to pave way for total removal exercise by March 13.
“This is first in the series of sensitization meetings with the stakeholders in the various railway corridors over settlements around Kukwaba, Dei Dei, Gwagwa, Kuchingoro and others, with a view to giving them enough time to vacate the railway corridors and station access ways,” AMMC coordinator, Umar Shuaibu said.
The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, had directed relevant agencies to clear all illegal settlements and structures obstructing rail corridor and station access ways.
Addressing the stakeholders in Ruga, Shuaibu said because the metro line runs through the community, all structures would be removed to pave way for a hitch-free operation of the rail.
He told the residents of the community that the demolition exercise would be done with a human face.
This, he said explained why AMMC through the development control department commenced sensitization campaign since last week, to enable them relocate to another place.
The AMMC boss while noting that Abuja is for everybody, stressed that it is governed by law, insisting that the structures in Rugabe demolished since the owners developed them without the approval of the appropriate authorities.
He reiterated that only natives were supposed to be compensated or resettled whenever there was reason to displace them.
He, however, urged the Ruga community leaders to put a record of people there, for possible palliative measures, to cushion the effect of the exercise.
Also speaking, the Ruga Village Head, Ahmadu Adamu, assured the government of support for the success of the exercise.
He commended the government for not taking them unawares, as it used to be before when they were forced to leave their places of their abode.
He, however, made passionate appeal for the government to help relocate them to another place, to enable them to continue living, as they had no other place to resettle.