FCTA dismantles illegal structures, sacks Apo tipper garage

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has destroyed illegal structures at the Apo -interchange, near the popular Apo roundabout, to restore sanity in the area.

The officials of FCTA in collaboration with security personnel, Monday stormed the area and pulled down shanties, mechanic shops, food vendors stand and unauthorised building materials shops and impounded some abandoned vehicles, which were towed to the office of the Directorate of Road Transport Service (DRTS).

Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to Minister of FCT, Ikharo Attah, who led the operation told journalists that the area was a major interchange that a four-lane highway connecting all the way to Kubwa joined.

He said: “The FCT Minister Malam Muhammad Bello at the weekend took a tour, around the Guzape district to check developmental work in Guzape and to ensure the work get to the advanced stage within his tenure, when the Minister was going around, he came across this very bad site at Apo tipper garage, by Apo NEPA. He, therefore instructed that the tipper garage should be removed.

While explaining why the tipper garage must go, he said “This is a fundamental road from the outer expressway, then to Wasa and the other one is connecting to Guzape II here.

“But having this tipper garage disturbing the construction work going on smoothly here, the Minister frowned at that heavily and asked us to remove it finally and seal up the gate and ensure every illegality is removed here.”

On how long the people have stayed in the area, he said: “The argument that they have been here for years won’t stand because this is an interchange road on a super four-lane highway and connecting all the way to Kubwa. No matter how long they have stayed, they must leave because the interchange must come.

“Then when you look at the aesthetics of the city, you cannot have tipper garages everywhere in this highbrow Apo area of Gudu, it cannot stand,” He stated.

One of those affected, Muhammad Ali, lamented that he had been selling building materials in the area for over 15 years, and will find it difficult to get a new place to move in.

“If you want peace, then we have to obey what the government said. Our own is to obey the constitution but we are not happy, this is our livelihood and we have families that we are feeding. Since they asked us to leave, I don’t know where I will go.”

The minister’s aide said all those affected will be temporarily moved to Waru.

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