The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has urged traders and artisans operating on the roadside at Mpape to relocate before the expiration of a two-week pre-demolition notice issued to them by the authority.
Mr. Ikharo Attah, the Chairman, FCT Ministerial Taskforce on City Sanitation, gave the advice at an interactive session with newsmen on Sunday in Abuja.
Attah, while lamenting that most traders were yet to leave the roadside, said “what one sees in Mpape is painful.
”They have months to pack and remove their shops and containers from the days Mpape Landlords Association came to plead with the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello.
“We also issued additional two weeks quit notice to enable traders to evacuate from the roadside. All these appeared to be falling on deaf ears.
“In most areas like a market stretch, Badger Quarry and Katampe Junction over 99 percent of illegal structures to be cleared are still where they are.
”We know the pain and tears of demolition, and that is why we are pleading with them to leave the roadside before the expiration of the quit notice,” he said.
He said that Mpape was a gateway to and from Abuja’s main resettlement community at Shere and Galuwi, hence the need for the road to be cleared of encumbrances.
According to him, along the market stretch, structures within 25 metres from the road on both sides must be removed.
“We observe that most people have extended shops and structures multiple times to a point where they now sit on the road.
“Therefore, the planned demolition in Mpape is long overdue.
”The landlords, residents and motorists are daily begging us to come because the traffic gridlock and insecurity is too much,” he said.
Attah, however, declined to comment on the day the task force would commence the demolition of the illegal structures. (NAN)
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