FCTA orders demolition of buildings in Abuja green area
The Coordinator of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) of the Federal Capital Administration, Chief Felix Obuah, has said there will be no going back on the removal of all structures encroaching on natural waterways and green areas. Daily Trust had exclusively reported how many areas set aside for green areas as well as water plane […]
The Coordinator of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) of the Federal Capital Administration, Chief Felix Obuah, has said there will be no going back on the removal of all structures encroaching on natural waterways and green areas.
Daily Trust had exclusively reported how many areas set aside for green areas as well as water plane areas have been encroached on by some developers.
The administration had on Monday confirmed that many of those areas were under threat and it would do everything possible to reclaim them.
Yesterday, the AMMC director led a team of city managers on a site tour of Utako, Katampe and Wumba districts of Abuja and gave directives for the removal of any infractions on the green and flood prone areas within the city centre.
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He said the council must sanitise affected areas and prevent such illegal activities from happening in the nation’s capital.
He said the council has identified areas notorious with such acts, and that although some are still under construction, it will address them accordingly.
“This is necessary because the minister has good intentions and is doing his best, so for those of us on the ground, it’s our responsibility to take action to support him.
“Our goal is to clear the waterways of any obstacles, including buildings and structures.
“What matters most is preventing the spread of misinformation and false prophecies. Regardless of the cost, it’s crucial that we prevent these issues. That’s our top priority. If we allow these illegal structures to remain, the entire areas will be flooded, causing suffering for many people.
“All the areas that people have contravened, by building illegally we are going to bring them down, and there is no going back as it is a continuous exercise,” he said.
At Wumba District, the AMMC coordinator, directed officials of the Development Control Department to remove houses marked for demolition within 48 hours for allegedly encroaching on a green area reserved for development of a recreational centre in the district.
He said: “I asked him (the developer) to stop work, but he refused. The only language he will hear now is demolition. Everything you see here will go down.”
Similarly, in Katampe District, Obuah, led his team of city managers to a site undergoing site clearance, where he revealed that the developer had been previously warned to stop work and present legal title documents for verification but defied the directive and continued building.
“When we invited the developer to provide legal documents for the activities he’s carrying out, we discovered there was no paper, no approval, no allocation.
“I’ve directed the developer to come to my office by 10am tomorrow for verification. If he fails to appear, we will move in with our machines and clear the area,” he warned.