By Emeka Ugwuanyi with agency report
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said those who refused to develop lands allocated to them in Abuja with the hope that prices of such land will continue to appreciate significantly will lose ownership of such land irrespective of how highly placed such people are.
Wike stated this at a news conference in Abuja on Monday to announce the short, medium, and long-term plans to overhaul the FCT and reposition it among the best cities in the world. He said he will demolish all illegal buildings and structures in the territory as part of efforts to restore the Abuja to its original Master Plan.
He said: “It is not going to be business as usual. Those distorting Abuja Master Plan: if you build where you are not supposed to, the building will go down.
“If you build on a green area, sorry, it will go down. Those who were allocated land and refused to develop them, we will revoke such lands and re-allocate them to those who are ready to develop them.
“Those who don’t pay ground rent, we will not notify them to do so, but I will not be tired of signing revocation notices.
“Uncompleted buildings that have become a haven for criminals will be reclaimed by the government and put them to good use.”
The minister added that the government would no longer tolerate the indiscriminate operation of markets and motor parks by the roadside.
He said people selling goods and wares under the umbrella by roadside, illegal motor parks and bus stops would no longer be tolerated, adding that they constitute part of the security challenge in the FCT.
“If you have a brother, sister and uncle involved in any of these, please tell him that the time is up. The goal is to sanitise Abuja and make it safe for everyone,” he said.
He also said efforts would be made to strengthen waste management and restore all traffic lights to keep the city clean.
He added that motorcycle and tricycle operators would be banned from the city and put an end to open grazing within the capital city.
“We will consult with stakeholders, the natives, and herdsmen to address some of these problems, including open grazing.
“We will provide alternatives to reduce the suffering of the people, particularly those without private vehicles.
“We will bring back mass transit to improve access to public transportation, and therefore, the person in charge of transportation must keep his record clean,” he said.
He said that emphasis would be placed on infrastructural development, taking one project at a time to restore the city to its glory.
The minister said that development would also be extended to the six Area Councils as part of strategies to decongest the city.
He also said that all revenue leakages would be blocked to mobilise the needed resources for infrastructural development in the FCT.
On security, Mr Wike said he would work with all security agencies in the FCT and provide them with the necessary tools and logistics to rid the city of all criminals.
According to him, FCT is supposed to be the safest city in the country, adding, however, that the city is no longer safe.
“We will provide security agencies with the necessary tools and logistics, and after that, we will not want to hear any excuses. What we want to see is results.”
Wike also promised to consider the natives in political appointments to carry everyone along.
He solicited the support of all stakeholders, including the media, to restore the confidence of the people in President Bola Tinubu-led administration’s drive to give people hope.
Wike was accompanied to the briefing by the Minister of State, FCT, Mariya Mahmoud; Permanent Secretary, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Adesola Olusade.
