Following the expiration of seventy-two hours ultimatum given to the affected banks and other commercial buildings in the area, the FCT Ministerial Task Team on traffic free flow in Abuja, has made good its promise as the bulldozers of the FCTA at the weekend reduced the illegal structures at Dutse-Alhaji community to rubbles.
Particularly, the bulldozers pulled down parts of the perimeter fences of a commercial bank and some commercial buildings located by the roadside on the busy Dutse-Alhaji axis connecting Bwari and other adjoining towns to the city centre.
Recall that the task team which handed a seventy-two hour ultimatum to the owners of the affected property, had directed them to use their approved entrance point which were in street behind.
The property owners were also directed to close their current entrance, which is a violation of the approved building plan.
Also, the bulldozers dismantled several makeshift structures within a shanty on the street, just behind the commercial properties to ensure their owners easily access their plots.
Equally, cement and wood dealers who were allegedly trading illegally in the street were also cleared.
Speaking to journalists during the exercise chairman of the task team, Ikharo Attah, said the FCT Minister’s determination to rid the city of traffic gridlock is now at an all time high.
He said: ” What happened here is a distortion of the approved land use. The entrance of the commercial property are contributing immensely to the traffic bottleneck on the Dutse-Alhaji to Bwari road. ”
Similarly, Vice chairman of the Task Team , Mr Rasheed Ahmed warned that land use violations in the FCT would no longer be tolerated.
Ahmed, who is also the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the FCT Minister reitrated that any impediment against free flow of traffic must be tackled with the severity it deserves.
On her part, speaking after the demolition exercise, Development Control Department officer for Dutse -Alhaji and Dawaki Districts, Blessing Chidozie warned the affected property owners not to reopen the prohibited acces points .
