ABUJA – Resorts owners in the nation’s capital should be ready to lose their businesses and properties if their facilities are built are wrongly situated on Abuja lands, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has stated.
Officials of the agency made this point while at two clubs, Karu Paris Lounge and Cool Leo, to effect closure over non-compliance with COVID 19 protocols.
The officials asked the owners to as a matter of urgency, revert to the original land use or risk demolition.
This is as the FCT Ministerial Task Force on COVID-19 enforcement sealed the said clubs for violating COVID-19 protocols.
Comrade Ikharo Attah, Head Media and Enlightenment FCTA COVID-19 Enforcement Team, who led the exercise, while speaking on behalf of the administration, said the decision followed calls from residents over violation of the safety guidelines by the operators.
He stated that: “We received several calls from residents of Karu-site that they have some persons who keep very large gatherings at night, we came in and discovered them, we went to court and prayed the Judge, and her Lordship, Magistrate Idayat Akanni gave us seal off order for the property, Karu Paris Lounge and Cool Leo, which we have done.
“Beside the case of COVID-19 violations which is the key issue, these are highly populated residential areas, so the owners must revert to the original approved use within two weeks, if they fail to do the needful bulldozers will enter here after expiration of the deadline”
Attah, however, explained that the Task Force operation was not limited to a particular area, but comprehensive, saying any acquisition from some persons on selective exercise was unfounded.
In another development, the FCT Mobile Court sitting at Eagle Square convicted 72 violators of COVID-19 health protocols.
In her ruling, the Magistrate, Idayat Akanni said all the violators pleaded guilty and were sentenced to pay a fine of N2,000 each or undertake one week community service.
The court Prosecutor, Udeme Umana, had informed the court that the defaulters were found not wearing facemasks, and some of them, who had one were not wearing it properly.
