FCT chief calls for forceful removal of shanties in his domain

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3 years ago

Bello Muhammed, FCT Minister

One of the first-class chiefs in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the Sakaruyi of Karu, HRM Emmanuel Yepwi, has decried the increasing rate of illegalities and criminality in his domain, pleading with the FCT Ministerial Committee on City Sanitation to immediately come to his domain and remove the shanties where the criminals hibernate under different guises.

The traditional ruler made this known when the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to FCT Minister, Ikharo Attah, visited him over the weekend.

The chief said it was discovered that the illegalities are being perpetrated by some of these criminal elements who live in makeshift shanties and other illegal structures around the community, while some who pretend to be traders have defied all rules and have taken over the roadside for their activities.

According to him, “Karu is a major satellite town sitting on major road corridors in the FCT. Karu links to Orozo and up to karshi. It should be the best. Sadly, most people choose to sell on the road and cause traffic problems.”

He went further to appeal to the FCT Minister, “to please help us fully clear Karu of some illegal structures and batchers that are not good for our community.”

“Tell the minister we support him fully for whatever he wants to do to remove all these traders from the roads. We have been warning them to leave but they refuse to,” he stated.

Earlier in his remarks, Attah said the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, had expressed worries over the illegalities in the Karu satellite town and would work in synergy with all stakeholders to address them.

According to Attah, “It is a pathetic scene at the entry point into the Karu Model market as traders now occupy the entire road allowing only one car to pass at a time. Those selling fresh catfish and vegetables now occupy the better part of the road.”

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Attah expressed worry that “some traders are selling directly under high tension wire. There are those who have decided to build makeshift shops and cover the transformer. All this, your Royal Highness are not good for Karu in particular and the city at large.

“With sensitive security agencies having offices and residential quarters from Karu to Karshi complaints keep pouring in daily of difficulties crossing the Karu Market portion of the road. Also FCT residents including staff of the Satellite Town Development Department at Karshi waste manhours daily on the road.”

The Head of Department of Works in Abuja Municipal Area Council, Architect Andrew Gaza who was with the team hailed plans of the FCT Administration to rid the area of those illegalities, saying “we at AMAC has plans to clear areas in and around the market. Now that FCT Administration is coming in we support it fully. All these illegalities must stop.”

Gaza added that “if you look inside the market, you will see that AMAC was the first to mark the worrisome illegal structures for demolition. They have completely and badly changed the approved plan for the market.”