The Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, on Wednesday in Abuja warned owners of undeveloped landed property in parts of the Wuye District to quickly develop them or risk revocation.
The Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, AMMC, Umar Shuiabu issued the warning when he led the ministerial joint task force on sensitisation of Wuye residents ahead of a planned demolition of illegal structures in the district.
“We have many environmental, security and aesthetic challenges in parts of Abuja, including this area and this calls for sanitation of such places.
“Abuja is a planned and a beautiful city with world-class infrastructure not seen in some countries, so we must not give anyone reason to question the sanity of this city.
“We have constructed beautiful road networks here but what we can see is illegal use of the road by mechanics and hawkers, among others.
“This has rendered this road impassable. We want to remove this embarkment and give opportunity to all citizens and plot owners to use this road.
“In fact, there are other places also where these scavengers have taken over and we will do whatever that is legally possible to clear them.
“It is not only here, but in every other part of the city where illegality exists, we will remove it, till the time we will we have money to provide the infrastructure.”
The AMMC boss said the FCTA was going to revoke and reallocate those not willing and able to develop the area instead of allowing it to lay fallow.
“Instead of developing this land, they leave the land and make it turn into a challenge for the city management.
“We have already provided infrastructure and the plot owners have not taken over. We are going to give them final notice if they don’t develop it, we are going to revoke it and give it to those who will develop.”
He explained that the ultimatum was already in the papers for the land and we have power to revoke the land.
The Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring Inspection and Enforcement to the FCT Minister, Ikharo Attah, said that the minister went round the area and it was very clear what he wanted.
“He wanted a massive cleanup of the entire area around Utako motor park, along Tunde Idiagbon Way.”
Mr Attah said that the minister directed all illegal structures and contraventions that run short of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) Act and Regional Planning Act should be removed and cleaned up in line with the Abuja Master Plan.
According to Mr Attah, in less than a week Utako will wear new look.
“The minister is very clear about the revocation of undeveloped plots. He (minister) asked the Acting Director of Development Control to go with a team of town planners, inform and notify the plot owners and take over their plots within a stipulated period.
”Else the plots will be recommended to the minister for revocation. We cannot have plots that will be hideouts for criminals,” he warned.
On his part, the Head, Monitoring and Enforcement, AEPB, Kaka Bello explained that his team had served them notice but was dissatisfied with the level of compliance.
NAN
