The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Tuesday, evicted illegal food vendors, mechanics, fuel hawkers, scavengers and petty traders on rail and road corridors in Area II Garki, near Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Mr Kaka Bello, the Assistant Director, Enforcement, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), who led the operation, said the administration has zero tolerance for environmental nuisances in the nation’s capital.
Bello, who advised residents to have a healthy attitude towards the environment, noted that if all residents ensure disciplined and do what was right, Abuja would remain a clean city.
He said: “As you can see this area falls within the Asokoro District and it is bordering the residents of the number one citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“And as such this illegality that is happening here will not be allowed to continue. You can see lots of sundry nuisances from food vendors, illegal petroleum sellers popularly known as black markers, and illegal mechanics occupying these road corridors.
“And this has led to the spillover of their illegal activities on the R.B. Dikko Road off Lord Lugard street. This is unacceptable and that is why the Director of AEPB, Mr Osilama Braimah, gave us a matching order to come and ensure that we sanitise this place.” He stated.
Bello vowed that the board and other agencies of the FCTA saddle with the responsibilities of city management would sustain operation in the area on daily basis.
“And not only today, but we will also ensure that this place is sanitise on a daily basis and that is why we are here and you can see the work we are doing.
“The enforcement will continue on daily basis. As you can see the operation is been carried out by different agencies such as the FCT Directorate of Traffic Road Services (VIO), FCT Ministerial Task Force on City Sanitation, NDLEA and the rest.”
He appealed to illegal food vendors, mechanics and illegal petroleum sellers to desist, adding that there are legitimate platforms in the territory were such businesses could be carried out without going against the law.
On his part, Mr Ikharo Attah, Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, explained that the place being occupied by the illegal vendors and mechanics was a green area given as a temporal food court.
Attah disclosed that the administration would fence the area, adding that those who have temporal allocation to run a green area, parks and open spaces would take charge. This, according to him, they will do it in accordance with the provision of the Parks and Recreation Department that gave them the allocation.
“And this is what we do to ensure that people manage the rail and the road corridors pending when we have full construction and when the place is fully used for road and rail all these things will disappear.
“But for now we discovered that it is really very bad and sad to see fuel black markers, food vendors, scavengers, hawkers and all manners of people using this place. And this doesn’t paint the city in a very good light considering the fact that it is at the very heart of the city,” Attah said.
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