CITY NEWS FCTA to demolish 750 shanties, estate in Lubge
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) says no fewer than 750 shanties would be demolished in Lugbe for safety of the residents and to pave way for development.
The Director, Department of Development Control, Mukhtar Usman Galadima, who made this disclosure during last week’s tour of the affected areas in Lugbe, explained that the areas were not legal layouts and all the shanties did not have government allocation.
Galadima said all the shanties built directly under high tension wires in Tudun Wada, Peace Village and on either sides of the electricity facility, including those that breach the legally permitted 30 metre-proximity to high tension cables and Lugbe FHA farm market and others would soon be removed to pave way for the Transmission Company of Nigeria to start work.
“The distance legally allowed away from high tension wire is 25 metres, plus 5 metres for contingency, which makes it 30 metres,” he said.
He also explained that while his office had already severally warned the residents, it has become imperative to quickly carry out the demolition exercise due to a request from the Federal Ministry of Power for the FCTA to clear the area to enable it commence construction of a 330/132/33kV substation in Lugbe ( West Main).
Galadima added that the substation was one of the major projects slated for the FCT by the Federal Government as part of capital projects to be executed in 2018.
Similarly, Diamond Acres, a private estate under construction in Lugbe has been marked for immediate demolition.
Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) Coordinator, Umar Shuaibu, while speaking to journalists at the project site affirmed that the estate must go, berating its owner for being stubborn and disregarding development guidelines.
While explaining that Diamond Acres estate was sitting directly on the Ring Road 4, a major road network which could not be diverted because of an illegal project perpetrated by an individual, Shuaibu said the owner of the project has refused to follow due instructions after many development control notices earlier served on him to stop work.
According to him, the developer did not recourse to due process in obtaining necessary development control permits before embarking on the building.
He advised residents to always follow rules regarding erection of structures in the nation’s capital and warned that illegal developments in the FCT would never be tolerated.