As bulldozers from the Department of Development Control (DDC) demolished alleged illegal structures in Gwarimpa on Wednesday, developers and property owners were warned to follow regulations guiding physical developments in the territory.
The demolished structures were mostly attachments to residential buildings in the sprawling estate which have been turned to makeshift shops in the area.
Director of the department, Muktar Galadima, who handed over this warning shortly after the exercise, said other infringements on developments on Ahmadu Bello Way and other areas would soon be cleared.
According to him: “The exercise that was carried out in Gwarinpa was to continue the process of sanitising the city and ensuring compliance with our development guidelines. That is why this morning, we have to go to the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Gwarinpa to enforce development guidelines.
“It is really unfortunate the rate at which developments are springing up without recourse to approved development plans, particularly houses that have been converted, in addition, owners of these properties have converted available parking spaces to smaller shops thereby creating worsening traffic problems in the area. So, we have to remove those attachments. There are neighbourhood markets, so let them go there and do their businesses.
“The second phase of this exercise is looking at those buildings that are coming out of those reserved green areas. These areas are supposed to be for the provision of infrastructure facilities and services but have been gradually taken over by developments.
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“If you look at the Abuja Master Plan, it is graded in such a way that at the starting point is the neighbourhood centre, graduating to the district centre, then finally the city centre; unfortunately, some of these provisions have been ignored, not properly provided.
“And I must remind you that this is not the first time we are doing this kind of exercise in Gwarinpa. We have done it several times. If you recall, before the end of last year, and a few weeks ago, we did a similar exercise. It is a continuous one. It is not a once and for all exercise.
“As I said earlier on, the second phase is those buildings on green areas; and then, there is this market that is coming up along the corridor or arterial 11, which we popularly call Ahmadu Bello Way. So, all those traders that went and allocated markets among themselves should take this as a warning signal. We are going to remove them by next week.
To a very large extent, people have taken advantage of the lockdown to quickly put up illegal structures, that is why we have to mop up these illegalities, bring sanity and orderliness to that district.” He explained.
Some of the affected business owners and residents, who spoke with newsmen after the exercise said they were not against the removal of illegal structures, but the authorities would not have taken such decision at this difficult period when they were just coming out of the lockdown as a result of the deadly COVID 19 pandemic.
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