Finally, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Saturday demolished over 134 makeshift houses in Apo Akpmajenya community to pave way for the soon to commence construction of a major road network in the area.
Africahousingnews can report that the joint exercise, which was coordinated by the Ikharo Attah-led FCT Task Force on City Sanitation, took place in the early hours of today, just when members of the community were waking up.
Briefing a section of journalists shortly after the exercise, Director, Department of Development Control, Mallam Muktar Galadima, explained that those houses had been marked for demolition in January, 2020.
Galadima also said that prior to the exercise, the FCTA through its relavant agencies, had interface with the inhabitants of the settlement on the imperative for them to vacate the area, which falls within the corridor of the planed Outer Southern Express Way (OSEX).
He added that the settlement falls on one of road interchanges linking Oladipo Diya, which is an arterial road, with OSEX.
On his part, Deputy Director in charge of planning and resettlement, Department of Resettlement and Compensation, Nasiru Suleiman, disclosed that no fewer than 131 houses and 169 plots were given to members of the affected community as compensation.
Suleiman also said that the FCT Administration had provided a plot of land for Chief’s house, comprehensive development and commercial plots, adding that most of the people have already moved to Apo Resettlement Scheme, where necessary facilities have already been provided for their comfort.
The Deputy Director, however, noted that a few of those compensated were yet to move to the resettlement area.
Africahousingnews also gathered that the policy of Federal Capital City (FCC) was to resettle all the indigenous settlements within the FCC to the Federal Capital Territory, which is outside the FCC.
Also speaking, Director, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Malam Baba Shehu Lawan stated that the village constituted a lot of environmental nuisances and generated monumental waste, adding that on daily basis trucks of waste generated from the village are carted away from the community to the central dump side.
According to him, the village consists of about 80 per cent commercial activities because it is not a traditional Gbagi village as we are aware.
“The village is now occupied by commercial people who are mainly traders and they generate a lot of waste and those wastes are deposited even on the road.”
He berated that Akpmajenya village also constituted serious traffic gridlock on that axis due to its location at a junction of the Oladipo Diya road and Apo Mechanic Village road.
Contributing, Director, FCT Department of Security Services, Malam Adamu Gwary, noted that the village also served as a criminal hideout, where most of the property stolen in Abuja, particularly cars were taken for sale.
Gwary used the occasion to reiterate determination of the FCT administration to continue to provide adequate security of lives and properties in the Territory.
