By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
Traders from the popular UTC Shopping Complex in Area 10 today stormed the FCDA minister”s gate in protest over the demolition of the trading complex by the Department of Development Control.
The traders carrying placards with inscriptions like: “FCT Minister, stop Development Control from demolishing UTC”; “Urban Shelter, leave UTC alone”, stormed the FCTA Secretariat at Area 11 where they were blocked by security operatives at the entrance to the FCT Minister’s office.
The traders who said that there were at the FCDA to meet with the FCT Minister but we’re restrained lamented that the developer, (Urban shelter) responsible for the planned remodeling of the complex have violated the court order which had earlier restrained them from going ahead with the plan.
Chairman of the shop owners association of the UTC Complex , Godfrey Ojairikre who spoke during the protest appealed to the FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello to intervene by preventing Development Control and Urban shelter from further demolishing their shops.
The protesting traders explained that they resumed business on Tuesday morning only to find bulldozer pulling down their shops.
They said that they have no other option than to seek timely intervention to stop the unlawful demolition of their shops while the matter is still in court.
