Posted by By Umoru Henry on
DEVELOPMENT Control of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) has set aside this week starting from today, Tuesday the demolition of about 1,800 units of Cornershops located in various parts of the Federal Capital City (FCC)
ABUJA - DEVELOPMENT Control of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) has set aside this week starting from today, Tuesday the demolition of about 1,800 units of Cornershops located in various parts of the Federal Capital City (FCC), just as the traders at the 112 Garki Corner shop markets protested against the demolition plan, accusing the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai of not respecting court order which directed that further demolition of shops in the Federal Capital Territory must be put to a halt.
Conducting Journalists round the areas with concentration of Cornershops in Abuja yesterday, Monday, the Secretary of the Task Force, Alhaji Suleiman Gora, who noted that owners or allottees of the affected shops have since been notified and prepared to vacate the shops, said the shops would be demolished because they violated the Abuja master plan that never gave room for the concept of corner shops.
According to him, the last administration of the Federal Capital Territory compounded the problems of the residents by giving out these shops to them inspite of the fact that they knew that it was illegal to own corner shops in the Federal Capital City, adding that the most recent allocations were done on flood planes, particularly those situated in Maitama and Wuse Zone 5 and the drainage areas in Asokoro.
Alhaji Gora disclosed that the Federal Capital Territory Administration embarked on unconditional sack of staff from level 12 and above totally over 90% of the entire work force of the Development control of the Federal Capital Development Authority and immediate deployment of a team of new staff to take charge of the department following the evil and anomalies they perpetuated in allocating these shops to some individuals.
According to him, while many of the staff were sacked outrightly, others were sacked and arrested by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission[EFCC] for prosecution, adding that the areas mostly affected in the demolition include Garki Mechanic Village which has a total of 112 shops that are highly functional, Maitama corner shops with 77 functional duplex for both accommodation and commercial purposes.
When asked why the Federal Capital Territory Administration must go ahead with the demolition despite court ruling that further demolition of structures in the Territory must stop as alleged by the chairman of the 112 Garki Cornershops market owners, Mr. Onyekachi Okereke, the secretary of the Task Force on the master plan Implementation Committee, Alhaji Suleiman Gora denied saying there was no court order to that effect.