The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Monday, cleared a part of Pasali forest in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), felling down economic trees in the process.
The FCTA said the action was taken to curb insecurity and sales of illicit drugs in the forest, as well as Kuje Area Council’s desire to relocate traders of perishable food items at Kuje main market to the forest, in order to stop street trading in the road corridors.
Head, Monitoring and Enforcement, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Kaka Bello, while speaking to journalists at Pasali, said it is the Kuje Area Council that will compensate the owners of the economic trees that were removed not the administration.
Kaka said: “From our previous work we found out there is spill over in the market that is why we have people trading on the road corridor because there is no space in the market. We are facilitating the relocation of the market here. We have decided to clear this place in order to relocate them here, especially those who sell perishables will be relocated here.
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“Well we have some security challenges in this area, there were cases of sale and consumption of illicit drugs in this area. And we have some cases of reported theft, snatching of bags and phones. It also has some security challenges but with the coming of the market, we hope all these security challenges will subside,” He stated.
On compensation of some of the economic trees that were removed, he said; “There are so many economic trees here but the Area Council will compensate them.
“Yes, they are going to be compensated the Area Council will compensate the owners of the economic trees,” he insisted.
Anglo Benjamin, a farmer, resident and one of the owners of the economic trees, lamented that nobody told them the trees would be removed on Monday, neither did they get compensation for removing the economic trees. He said he had Cashew and Gmelina trees and they were all cleared.
Ishaku Adamu, from shetuko, Kuje Area Council, said the land belongs to his family and there has not been any negotiation of any kind, from the Area Council.
“They have cleared our economic trees. The government should compensate us,” he stated.
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