FCTA warns developers against inscribing ‘Gbagyi House’ on illegal structures

By Stanley Onyekwere

The FCT Administration has warned developers and owners of illegal structures to desist from camouflaging them as indigenous houses in any part of the Territory.

This warning was on the heels of the resumption of removal of unapproved structures and shanties at the Kabusa village area of the FCT.

Speaking to newsmen during the demolition exercise, the Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Monitoring inspection and Enforcement, Comrade Ikharo Attah, noted that while the administration will respect the rights of the original inhabitants to resettlement and compensation, it will not hesitate to pull down all illegal houses belonging to non indigenes.

Attah, while warning suspected mischief makers inscribing ‘Gbagyi House’ on structures marked for demolition to desist from that, also warned those who collect money from non-indigenes to provide them cover that will not stand.

He said: “We are not touching houses of the indigenous people, we are clear on that. They have rights to resettlement and compensation but those who are non indigenes who have become so mischievous to go and write all over their houses, ‘Gbagyi House’ ‘Gbagyi House’ we see that there and when we get there, we know the indigenous houses.

“We have men who are under cover agents and have been living there and have guided it. So those who are non indigenes and are writing indigenes house on their building, we will remove all of them.

“The original indigenes are here. The chiefs are here, the SSA to the Minister on Youths and

Community Relations is here. They know their houses and we also know the indigenous houses as well.

“Those who collect money from non indigenes to give them cover will not stand”.

On why the team was back to Kabusa, the Minister’s aide said the team will sustain the operation untill all batchers, shanties and illegal structures fueling insecurity in the neighbourhood are removed.

According to him: “There has been cases of kidnapping around some key estates around here stretching down to the Apo axis which we will be taking down the batchers and shanties and every illegal settlement around here even baban Bola colonies.

We will be doing all of that and continuation of what the Department of Development Control started.

“That’s the removal of illegal structures where FCTA allocate lands and people sold the land to other people without papers and they built upon it, that’s why you are seeing real busy work going on today and that’s what we are doing throughout today.

“I don’t know how many houses will go down today, but as many as the illegalities you see around here are going down. Many have taken off their roofs that shows they know they are illegal structures and must play host to the bulldozers”.

On his part, the Special Assistant to the Minister on Community Relations, Comrade Isaac David, who was also on ground to mediate on behalf of the indigenes, said original inhabitants will always welcome any form of development in their community but appealed that the welfare of the indigenous people which are backed by the constitution, be respected.

“We know it is a development but we have to look into the welfare of the indigenous people which are backed by the constitution to remain in the Federal Capital Territory pending when Development get to their communities and they will be considered for compensations.

“ I am here to ensure that such laws are not violated. The right of every Nigerian should be protected.

“We are appealing to the Development Control to step down their actions today so that we can have the opportunity to pack their things.

“Despite the fact that markings were done, notices were given, people still thought that the demolition will not commence,” he stressed.

Speaking on the sensitization of residents over buying of lands from indigenous people, he disclosed that the government has been sensitising residents through the media, to stop buying lands from traditional rulers.

He adds: “The indigenous people in FCT have customary rights over property in FCT, that is why some issues are being looked into critically because they are constitutional issues.

“ There are certain issues that the FCT minister cannot do, but can only be addressed by the National Assembly by implementing some particular section that gives the indigenous people rights”.

Not left out, the District Head of Kabusa Village, Chief Zawu John, appealed to the FCT Administration to suspend the demolition till the end of the rainy season.

“Look at how people are running about to save their properties and this raining season.

“We are pleading with the minister to stop this demolition, so that we can have the necessary meetings and understand ourselves, before any other thing will take place”, he appealed.

Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and Group Chairman, Transcorp Plc, Mr Tony Elumelu, during the presentation of Discharge Certificate to Transcorp Power Plc, having met and surpassed the PostPrivatisation Target set by the Federal Government on the Ughelli Power Plc( Transcorp Power Plc), acquired by Transcorp Plc, in a ceremony held at the State House, Abuja on Monday.

Stakeholders insist on restoring Abuja master plan

By Stanley Onyekwere

Some FCT stakeholders Administration have highlighted areas that will help in addressing factors distorting the restoration of Abuja master plan.

At the commemoration of 2023 world earth day with the theme: “invest in our planet” FCTA top officials took turn to speak on the development and restoring sanity of the nation’s capital, Abuja.

The coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMAC), Umar Shuaibu called on the residents to stop activities that lead to environmental degradation.

He decried the unending distortion and destruction of the Abuja master plan by the residents.

“Illegal felling of trees, building on water channels and road corridors have distort and destroy the plan for development of Abuja” said Shuaibu.

Similarly, Senior Special Assistant on environment and waste management to the FCT Minister FCT, Tunde Imolehin said the second world earth day celebration in FCT was to guide residents on how to dispose off their waste properly in line with this year’s global theme: “Invest in our planet”.

“To make our stay in this planet meaningful, we must invest wisely.

We must take proper care of the environment, conserve and preserve the limited resources.

“The world earth began in 1970 in the United States to highlight the importance of our planet and the conservation of its ecosystems on all continents and oceans. Since then, the world’s attention has been drawn to the challenges facing mankind and the environment and ways to manage them”, he stressed.

In his presentation, the Director FCT Department of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima disclosed that over 10,000 illegal structures have been demolished in the last eight years with three hundred hectares of land recovered as the administration’s commitment to restore sanity in the territory.

The move, Galadima said, was pertinent to reverse the norms that have been affecting the officials from restoring the master plan and sanity across the city.

Collaborating, the Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of FCT on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Ikharo Attah, suggested that the Directorate of Road Traffic Services popularly known as VIO and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) should be carried along as critical stakeholders.