Despite agitation and public outcry against the planned demolition of the Union Trading Company, UTC, at Area 10, the Federal Capital Territory Administration insist the shopping centre will have to go.
The FCTA on Saturday, therefore pulled down the 30 years Shopping Complex to give way for the needed rebounding of the place.
The demolition is coming two years after the agreement signed by Abuja Investment Company Limited on behalf of the FCTA, with Urban Shelter Limited, in 2021.
Recall that the FCTA had in May, announced that over 472 shop owners in the complex will be relocated to the temporary site inside the proposed multi level car park site opposite the Arts and Culture Centre.
The administration said the structure was over due for restructuring to fit into a Shopping Complex model required to grow Small Business Enterprises, SMEs, to address business needs.
A Deputy Director, Monitoring and Inspection, Department of Development, Hassan Ogbole said the structures were defective and there was need to upgrade it to meet global business standards.
Ogbole noted that provision had been made for the traders and other occupants of the Complex to enable reconstruction of the place.
He added that enough notices have been given to the occupants of the complex, to enable them move out and allow the construction to start, but many of them refused to vacate, while some deliberately refused to move out.
According to him, “the place is in state of disrepair, the place is no longer habitable for occupation and business activities. The place has to give way for a new development.
“The company handling the development has informed Development Control and we are here to enforce compliance. We have given them enough notices for them to remove their goods, to enable us start the work”.
Also Speaking, the Secretary, Command and Control, FCTA Department of Security, Peter Olumiji, said demolishing the Complex was also needed to curtain the security challenges in the Area.
Olumiji noted that apart from restructuring the place to meet global standards, there was need to curtail the criminal activities prevalent in the place.
He disclosed that plans to remodeling the place, was carefully designed to end the thuggery that rubbishes the image of the place, especially faking of official documents.
One of the traders in the Complex, Samuel Onuchukwu, said the traders and other occupants of the Complex were worried because the temporary site provided for the developers, was not secured for business.
Onuchukwu disclosed that many of the traders were yet to remove their goods and properties from the shops and offices.
According to him, they woke up early in the morning on Saturday to learn that the whole UTC area had been barricaded, and demolishing going on , with people’s personal goods still entrapped.
