In order to salvage Nigeria’s capital city of Abuja from lawlessness and criminality, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Monday, commenced massive cleanup with emphasis on the airport road in particular.
All the relevant agencies saddled with the responsibility of maintaining order on roads and the environment in Abuja, were on hand to carry out and enforce the demolition and cleanup, which started from Karamajiji end of the road corridors, also saw to the impoundment of no fewer than 27 motorcycles.
Director, Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), Dr Abdulateef Bello, while briefing journalists at the venue, disclosed that his agency was able to seize 27 motorcycles on the airport road stretch for various offences, from driving against the traffic to driving on the express road.
He added that the administration is not trying to put a hardship on anybody, but the administration is more concerned about the safety security of residents.
According to VIO boss, “We have done a lot of engagement building social trust, with the okada riders so that they will be law-abiding but as at today there are some stubborn riders that are not willing to comply with our directives. So today we have over 27 motorcycles that were seized so they will pass through normal forfeiture and they will put them for crushing.
“The FCT Administration is not trying to put a hardship on anybody. But the administration is more concerned about the safety security of residents. Riding against traffic, riding on the highway is anti safety and the fact that we know everyone is trying to put food on their table they should obey the rules and regulations of the land.”
Senior Special Assistant to FCT Minister on Monitoring Inspection and Enforcement, Comrade Ikharo Attah, said there is no going back on the operation, which would last one month.
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According to Attah: “Right now is the extremely massive cleanup of airport road here. Starting from the traffic here, seizures of motorcycle, pin down points.
“We removed illegal structures, shanties, bachers, especially those that built shops under the high tension cables. We touched so many communities here, we did so many cleanups here in view of the directive of the FCT Minister.
“We are working on the entire airport road stretch. So much work will be going on here in the next one month, we will be working on the airport road, keeping it clean and ensuring free flow of traffic at the stretch.
“You know airport road stretch is the gateway to the city. We came here last week some have tried to return, the market we sacked last week but we have sacked them again and we will continue to come back here again and again. We won’t get tired the determination is very strong, we will keep working again and again until we get rid of every environmental abnormality.
“Two markets were sacked before and one came back and we re-sacked it again today and on Tuesday we are going to do more cleanups along the Airport road,” he stated.
and then