By Sarah NEGEDU
Owners of economic trees along the proposed Mabushi-Katampe road corridor would not be getting any form of compensation, as the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has ordered an immediate clearance of the area to make way for road construction.
The FCT Minister, who gave the directive on Tuesday, when he inspected the proposed road corridor, described the site as an eyesore and a haven for criminals.
He therefore, called on the Department of Development Control to clearout the area and dismantle all suspected criminal hideouts without delay.
The operation, described as the mother of all enforcement exercises, involved the removal of invaders including scavengers, mechanics, furniture makers, as well as clearance and evacuation of large cashew planation and shanties.
In his words, ” This place is where people commit crime and come to hide, the Department of Development Control should clear this area immediately, so that the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, will come in for the necessary things.
“There is nothing like compensation, development control must clear this area immediately, so that all these criminals won’t be here.These are places that people will commit crime and run down here for cover, and people will say FCT does this and that.
“We will do everything possible to see that this area is clean up, it will make the people here not to be disturbed”
On his part, the Coordinator of FCT City Management Joint Taskteam, TPL Mukhtar Galadima, said the encroached area, consists of a proposed dual mode of transportation- the bus and tramo line, transversing the city across almost all the Districts.
Galadima, who is also the Director, Department of Development Control, decried that a large portion of the road network stretch became a scavengers’ colony between Mabushi and Katampe Districts of the Territory.
He said: “Looking at the situation now, due to the security challenge all over the country, this present use of the area is not conducive.
“In the masterplan of Abuja there is provision of different hierarchy of road networks, and this part area, it consists of a proposed dual mode of transportation- the bus and tramo line, which transverses the city across almost all the Districts. It transverses from the entire city- starting from Area 1 through Garki Hospital, Social Development Secretariat, behind Ministry of Defense down to Durumi.”
On the issues of compensation for the economic trees, Galadima said, “this is a national issue of importance, which has to do with security, which is everybody’s business, that is why we are not giving consideration for the issue of compensation. And first and foremost lets secure the land and the people. This is why we are moving in at the right time.
“The Hon. Minister of FCT, said immediately after our clearance, the FCDA should come in and ensure that the road corridor is kept cleared to become a temporary access road, so that nobody will come and settle here again.
“So, this is mother of all exercises as it involves demolition, clearance and evacuation.”
