By Stanley Onyekwere
In continuation with its reinvigorated clean up drive, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Joint Taskforce on City Sanitation yesterday stormed and cleared artisans and traders involved in trading and other activities under an electricity high tension installation around Katampe Extension, in Abuja.
Also those displaced were suspected criminal elements allegedly using several illegal structures erected by the now dislodged invaders of the reserved green zone and FCT water tank 2 lifting point as a safe heaven for their nefarious activity, thereby leading to increased security threats to lives and property in area.
Leading the taskforce, Director, FCT Development Control Department, Mukhtar Galadima, described as pathetic, the invasion of the place by traders and others, as it is a high tension line where any kind of activity was not supposed to be going on.
Galadima, who doubles as the Coordinator of the Taskforce, revealed that it is the fourth time that members of the task team are clearing the place, as whenever they remove, the invaders found their back to the place.
Represented by Deputy Director, Monitoring and Enforcement, Development Control Department, Hassan Ogbole, the Coordinator noted that the exercise is a build up the ongoing city clean up that had commenced under this current administration.
According to him: “We have done this in several locations and we are here in Katampe extension. Whenever we remove, they come back. So what you are seeing is the conclusion of the clean up exercise.
“We will keep doing this, as we cant leave an ungoverned space, and we are working on governance now, in partnership with the Residents’ Association of Katampe Extension and FCT Parks and Recreation Department.
“Sooner or later we will get them to take proper occupation of this place, so that this people will not come back.”
Also speaking, Assistant Director, incharge of Maintenance, Parks and Recreational Department, Engr. Isa Abdulmalik, said the department fence the place as there are plans to put in recreational activities which will be between the government and the residents to serve as a neighborhood park.
He added that there are so many other places within the city that have been recovered and parks were created.
“ Some of these areas are Kabusa, Gaduwa, Guzape, Apo Dutse, and others. With this, I think we will curb most of the illegal activities and the taking over of this place by hoodlums in the past. So I believe when we do the Katampe neighborhood, the people around will enjoy the facility.
“We are also working towards making sure that the places made conducive for the neighborhood to live”, he stressed
Not left out, Secretary of FCTA Command and Control Centre, Dr. Peter Olumuji explained that most residents of Katampe extension had complained that they cannot freely transverse the place in the night , because some of presence of criminal elements around the place that always attack them.
Olumuji noted that dailly there are incidences of stabbing in the nighttime because they want to collect the victims phones or other any other belongings.
He said: “We’ve seen incidences of people coming here to sell drugs and the rest and a lot of other vices that go on around here.
“But, now that we’ve come around here for clearance operation, our own is just to ensure that this place is clear of this places that they can hibernate in perpetrating their dangerous activities to human habitation within this environment.”
In a related development, the FCTA through the Abuja Investment Company Limited (AICL), has commenced the beautification and reorganisation of the demolished sites of the city’s informal activities.
To this end, the Galadima’s led-joint city management task team that have been working with relevant security agencies such as the Nigerian police, NSCDC, the NDLEA, the DSS, the Immigration Service, the correctional service, and fire service visited new facility at Area 1 Shopping Centre built for sellers of Kilishi (an Hausa name for dried Nigerian beef jerky).
