Outrage as govt clears Abuja-Keffi highway corridor

There were wailings and lamentations in Nyanya as the Department of Development Control, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) felled structures on the corridor of the ever-crammed Abuja-Keffi highway. Those whose business places were affected watched helplessly as the heavy machines mauled the structures.Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Bala Mohammed on May 3, 2014 reeled out […]

There were wailings and lamentations in Nyanya as the Department of Development Control, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) felled structures on the corridor of the ever-crammed Abuja-Keffi highway. Those whose business places were affected watched helplessly as the heavy machines mauled the structures.
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Bala Mohammed on May 3, 2014 reeled out measures government would take to curtail terror incidents in Abuja especially the satellite town Nyanya saying structures on the Keffi-Abuja highway would be brought down.
Interestingly, the chief of Nyanya, Haruna Shaibu who came out to welcome the minister that day asked the minister to bring bulldozers and demolition unwanted structures in his domain, a request government was excited about.
But Nyanya locals are quite unhappy with this. When Daily Trust visited Nyanya village last Thursday, those affected by the demolition exercise took turns to condemn the local chief. One of them said, “What we expected of him was when the minister came, he should have called community stakeholders to discuss. He went alone to welcome the minister because he had a hidden agenda…Most of the house owners are Hausa so he wants them removed so he will take the land and resell.
“The minister came to console Nyanya people. Someone residing in Nyanya won’t plant a bomb. He [the chief] should have called for compensation for those who suffered the blast.”
The chairman of Independent Traders Association, Nyanya village, Malam Lawal Jafar lamented that 46 shops had been removed in Unguwar Hausawa and Unguwar Bawa otherwise called Pyape.
According to him, 250 tons of granite as well as sharp and plaster sand belonging to traders were leveled with government’s bulldozers in a place called Tipper Garage. “We want government to find a place for traders,” Jafar appealed.
The Sarkin Hausawa, Nyanya village, Alhaji Muhammadu Makinta declined to speak on the matter when our reporter visited his palace.
When contacted, the chief of Nyanya village said, “Nyanya site including the general hospital has been marked for demolition. I’m the village head. I like my people. If I say they should come and demolish my people [sic], who will I rule?”
 The minister who was at the scene of the May 1 explosion in Nyanya with FCT Minister of State Olajumoke Akinjide and top officials of the FCT administration announced that the president had directed him and all those concerned including Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) to build standard motor parks throughout the territory. For him, this means removing structures.
The minister said, “The area of huge challenge is Nyanya where the corridor is narrowed by demographics. People come in from Nasarawa [State]. We have over 2 million people on this corridor.
“This is the only corridor accessing Abuja that is encumbered. People trade along the corridor so we need time to do a sustainable and acceptable plan that is pleasant to the end users and viable as far as we’re concerned.
“We’ll not continue to build parks near the road. We’ll take them to where it will be convenient, of course for people and vehicles within the corridor.
“That may entail demolition [of structures] and relocation of people but certainly, in overall interest, we have to do this.
“Those selling second hand vehicles, those trading and doing all sorts of things – I’m happy the village head of Nyanya came and said those who have been compensated by the FCT [administration] but are resisting relocation, they’re ready to help make them move so that we can demolish and open the site.
“But most importantly, we have to provide alternative places because we can’t just carry people to nowhere. That’s why I directed the FCDA to make sure the Urban and Regional Planning [Department] have arrangement with AMAC to have alternative garages far away from the intersection. Within one week, we’ll be able to do that,” he promised. But those affected by the exercise maintain that they have not been given any alternative places.
Reacting to this, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Development Control Department, Mr Kalu Emetu acknowledged that alternative places were not given because residential buildings were not involved – only shops and illegal motor markets 50 meters either side of the highway. Emetu who could not give the number of structures removed said the exercise is not targeted at any group except miscreants who lurk along the road. He said conversely, the department has earned acclamation from residents of Nyanya for having made for free flow of traffic and returned orderliness on the way.

Nyanya and its bus station
The place called Nyanya bus station was at a time carved out to be a green area. When Malam Nasir el-Rufai was minister of FCT, the place was barricaded and grass planted there. But the barricade was knocked down as transporters and commuters constantly craved for space.
When commercial mini buses were barred from entering the main city of Abuja in June last year, government earmarked this place as bus station. Long buses were stationed here to ferry the numerous commuters that leave Nasarawa State settlements: Maraba, One Man Village, Ado, New Nyanya, New Karu, Masaka etc into the main city. The bomb incidents of April 14 and May 1 have now changed what the place was. The bus station is closed with soldiers continuously on guard there.

Nyanya village, an old settlement of about four hectares had been before the creation of the FCT. It was formerly a Gbagyi, Gwandara and Hausa settlement but now inhabited mainly by the Hausa.
Nyanya village is among settlements relocated when the development of the capital city started. The predominantly Gbagyi and Gwandara were relocated. While the Gbagyi were moved to New Nyanya Gwari, the Gwandara were taken to New Nyanya Gwandara all in Nasarawa State. Similarly, their folks in Karu village were moved to New Karu also in adjoining Nasarawa State.