Some residents of Gwarinpa District in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, have raised concerns over the alleged conversion of road corridors into car stands following the demolition of makeshift structures occupied by artisans.
The demolition exercise, which took place around the 3rd Avenue area, displaced artisans, including mechanics and carpenters.
However, a community leader and Secretary of the Residents’ Association in the Federal Works and Housing Estate, Phase 1, Architect Fola Garba, commended the demolition while opposing alleged plans to reallocate the affected land to car dealers.
Garba described the exercise as a step towards restoring order in the area but warned that using the land for car stands could create further problems for residents.
Residents Cite Previous Experience
The community leader said residents raised the alarm because of a similar development in Phase 2 of the housing estate.
According to him, artisans were previously removed from a road corridor in the area, after which the land was reportedly allocated to car dealers.
Garba explained that both the earlier site and the location affected by the latest demolition were originally reserved for the expansion of road corridors around 3rd Avenue, Gwarinpa.
He added that preliminary findings by stakeholders indicated that the land had been allocated to car stand operators under the guise of temporary permits for park and recreational activities.
Garba questioned the rationale behind using land earmarked for road expansion and other purposes for commercial car stands.
“We expected to see gardeners nursing plants and flowers, which could beautify our area and improve environmental standards, pending when the land would be used for the expansion of the road corridor,” he said.
“But what we are witnessing now is an even greater nuisance to the community. Residents stand to benefit more from the presence of artisans than from that of car dealers,” he added.
Artisans Received Quit Notices Before Demolition
Abuja Metro reported that officials of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) served the affected artisans quit notices about a month before the demolition.
The artisans were reportedly allowed to remove their belongings, including mechanical tools and container shops, before the exercise began around midday on Thursday.
Efforts to obtain comments from the AEPB spokesperson, Janet Peni, were unsuccessful.
The board had yet to provide an official response to the residents’ concerns over the alleged allocation of the affected land to car stand operators.
