Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, has warned district chiefs and heads in the territory that he would, henceforth, not accept any breakdown of law and order in the name of unlawful demonstration.
He gave the warning yesterday in an emergency meeting with chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), some graded chiefs and local chiefs in his office.
Native women in the territory had on Monday protested against alleged plan to remove shanties and illegal structures from villages on the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Expressway (Airport Road).
The minister said his administration had always carried the natives along in all the FCT administration’s policies and programmes and, therefore, would not fold its arms for any group to take the laws into their hands.
“We have tried to deepen community relation because Abuja is a national project, but disregard for law and order is unacceptable,” he said.
He frowned upon the use of women for “such illegal demonstration,” saying that government would hold the local chiefs responsible for any breakdown of law and order in future.
“Sending our women on the street to demonstrate is mischievous and regrettable. You should not allow yourselves to be used against the government.”
He, however, said no group of persons could prevent any arm of government from carrying out its statutory duties.
He warned traditional rulers and village heads to desist from illegally selling plots of land in their domains “because most of these structures being demolished by the FCT department control fall in this class,” adding that government would not abdicate its responsibility of ensuring a well-planned development in tune with the Abuja Master Plan.
In his response, the chairman, AMAC, Mr. Micah Jiba, apologised for the demonstration, promising that it would not happen again.
Also, the Chief of Garki, Alhaji Usman Nga Kupi, regretted that the demonstration took place and also assured that it would not happen again.
