Abuja master plan: Aliero
goes tough
From BASHIR UMAR, Abuja
Monday, November 30,
2009
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•Adamu
Aliero
Sun News Publishing |
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FCT Minister, Alhaji Adamu Muhammed Aliero is now talking
tough. Tired of soothing and pampering words, Aliero has started
towing the path of a former minister of the territory, Mallam
Nasiru El-Rufai.
It is in realization of the recalcitrant stance of developers
in Abuja that the minister, penultimate Tuesday, issued a
stern warning that he would prosecute offending builders in
the territory. Before jetting out for Umrah (Lesser Hajj)
last week, Monday, Aliero sounded another warning to those
in the habit of erecting structures in unapproved areas: Pull
them down before my arrival.
Aliero said the Abuja Master Plan must be the rallying point
and compass for all builders in the territory. He said owners
of such buildings would not only have them demolished, but
would also be prosecuted in line with the relevant laws of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the FCT. This is not a
threat as the minister has already directed his men to identify
such places for demolition purposes on arrival.
Street hawkers and beggars would also not be spared in the
minister’s determined efforts to revert the territory
to its glory. The minister’s zeal was fired by reports
of deliberate and flagrant refusals of those concerned to
desist from doing businesses where they are not supposed to
be despite warnings from the Joint Team recently constituted
by him to rid the city of illegal structures, shanties, street
hawkers, beggars.
Aliero is particularly peeved by the return of some commercial
motorcyclists in the territory. He insisted that the perpetrators
of these undesirable acts must be assisted to conform to the
rule and law of the land, since Abuja must be maintained in
consonance with the dreams of its founding fathers.
The minister remarked that recent operations yielded positive
results as illegal structures in the notorious Dagba Settlement
in Area 1, Garki I District, housing criminals, drug addicts
and peddlers were successfully removed despite their earlier
resistance. According to him, illegal structures were also
removed in Wuse II District near EMAB Plaza as well as illegal
mobile phone boots in Zone 4, Wuse I District, Abuja.
He revealed that 88 commercial motorcycles were impounded
and taken to the Abuja Auto Pound from Dagba Settlement. But
the minister said these successes were minimal and that his
aim is to achieve a hundred percent success.
The operation which was in continuation of the FCT monthly
Environmental sanitation exercise was jointly embarked upon
by the officials of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board,
FCT Minister’s Media Team, Department of Development
Control; Directorate of Road Traffic Services; Social Development
Secretariat, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Prison Service
and the National Drug Laws Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) as well
as Peace Corps.
Aliero had embarked on a massive demolition in the high-brow
areas of Maitama and Asokoro in Abuja where he said no less
than 50 illegal structures which have suddenly resurfaced
must be brought down.
He had earlier demolished some illegal structures and shanties
including the Scavengers’ Village as well as hard drug
dens in Mabushi District, Abuja . During the operation, the
team was able to remove shanties harbouring drug peddlers,
addicts, scavengers and prostitutes in addition to some suspected
criminals in Mabushi District.
The minister remarked that some illegal food vendors located
at the Julius Berger Junction were arrested and would be made
to face the Environmental Mobile Court to serve as deterrent.
Aliero assured that the operation would be a continuous one
until the FCT is returned to its original concept in line
with the dictates of the Abuja Master Plan.
He said that the shanties, illegal structures, including the
Scavengers’ Village have been a source of concern to
the FCT Administration; stressing that “they are the
dark areas where criminal activities are mostly perpetuated.
“There are 50 different buildings erected without title
documents or development control approval in these high brow
areas and they must give way because we are respecters of
law and due process in the Federal Capital Territory .”
He solicited the cooperation and understanding of all residents
of the FCT to rid the city of all illegal structures and environmental
nuisances.
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