‘War’ in FCT over relocation of illegal park

The recent onslaught against the park operators by the FCTA has equally proved abortive as commercial bus operators seem to have developed a thick skin to the administration’s overtures. The FCTA recently gave the motor park’s operators October 31, 2009, deadline to relocate or face the wrath of the law. But so far, the park […]

The recent onslaught against the park operators by the FCTA has equally proved abortive as commercial bus operators seem to have developed a thick skin to the administration’s overtures. The FCTA recently gave the motor park’s operators October 31, 2009, deadline to relocate or face the wrath of the law. But so far, the park has been closed down by the administration twice and twice the operators have reopened it for business.

While narrating the history of the park to Sunday Trust, chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Sebastian Nnodim, attributed the present location of the park to the FCTA officials who gave them the permission to operate within the area at the height of constant harassments from the Vehicle Inspection officials (VIO).

According to him, “nobody allocated the park to us but when we applied to the FCTA for a place when the Road Safety and VIO were disturbing us, the authority told us to look for a temporary place pending when they can give us a place. They said we can enter any place so that Road Safety officers and the VIO would not disturb us.”

Asked why the operators refused to relocate to the authorised motor park provided by the FCTA, the chairman lamented that there is no road leading to the garage allocated to them, adding that the place has been given to market women selling vegetables. “The garage they gave to us, there is no road to enter and the park has been given to women selling vegetables. FCTA promised to take care of the road, but till now, they have not done anything,” he retorted.

An official of the board who does not want his name in print, explained that “the October 31, 2009 deadline given to the park operators could not work because the new site has not been fully completed.”

He also  noted that the authorized motor park given by the administration has been taken  over by market women selling vegetables and other food items. He however, stressed that the FCTA has relocated the market women to another side, a little distance from the park but adjacent to the main market

“with the relocation of the women who occupied the park, the operators of the illegal park will not have any excuse for not relocating to the authorised park the administration has upgraded for the benefit of the transport workers,” he said

It would be recalled that the one of the grievances of the operators when the alleged illegal park was closed down by the AEPB, was that the road leading to the park is not motorable which discouraged the operators from using it. It would also be recalled that the reason why the FCT Administration closed the park was the alleged criminal activities being perpetrated by criminals on residents when coming back from their places of work.

The AEPB Director, Dr Abubakar Yabo, during the first operation of the closure of the alleged illegal park, said that the park has been giving the people of Nyanya a nightmare, adding that pick pockets and criminals held sway in the park, as that is the bus stop where people alight when coming to Nyanya from the city centre.

Not only has the park commenced full scale activities after it was closed down twice, it has been divided into two parts. One is being maintained by the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), while the other is operated by New Nyanya Transport Co. Ltd (NNTCT) under the watchful eyes of the FCTA that closed down the park

While the NURTW is plying Keffi, Akwanga and Jos, the NNTCT is plying Benue, Otukpo and Jos. It was observed that the new thriving NNTCT Park has not succeeded in dislocating the evening market operating at the motor park

In spite of the fact that the authority said the motor park encourages criminal activities and people have been complaining that their belongings have been stolen at the park; the park is still a Mecca of sorts as motorists and commuters continue to transact business as usual there.

It would further be recalled that the AEPB Director personally led a team of more than 30 armed Police, Road Safety squad, Civil Defense, Peace Corps and Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) on the two occasions he ordered the closure of the motor park, which he said is an illegal park.