Tag: Gwarimpa

  • FCTA  moves to prevent seasonal flooding in Gwarimpa, removes over 400 illegal houses

    FCTA moves to prevent seasonal flooding in Gwarimpa, removes over 400 illegal houses

    By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
    The Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, on Thursday began demolition of over 400 illegal houses in Gwarimpa, Abuja.

    The illegal houses were converted from corner shops to residential buildings most of which were covering the water way, were removed by the term of Development Control and FCT Task Force.

    Director, Development Control Department, Murkhar Galadima who spoke to newsmen at the scene of demolition lamented the poor hygiene and sanitation said that waste are being released directly to the stream and this is a time bomb waiting to explode.

    Galadima said, “This buildings you are seeing were not suppose to be houses, they were actually corner shops but people have converted them to residential abode. We have over 400 shops that were converted to residential buildings.”

    “We are working with Federal Housing Authority, after we had some discussions with them on how to convert it into a modern mall but for now the thing that is called corner shops is not being used for that particular purpose, it being used as residential buildings.” “And when you look at the number of people staying here, their hygiene and sanitation is zero so for safety reasons it is better to remove them.”

    Galadima who spoke on the notice of demolition exercise Director speaking on notice of demolition, said the illegal occupants were given one month notice before today’s exercise.
    “We gave them over a month notice, I remember we came here for sensitization and we marked it. When you go round you see the markings on the wall.”

    He condemned the fact that people built on water ways.
    “What we are trying to do is to recover the flood plain within Gwarinpa, People built on water way. The area is not properly planned because they are just discharging their waste directly to the stream. And this could be a source of epidemic, a time bomb waiting to happen.”

    “If we don’t take action immediately the consequences will be unimaginable.”

    “I advice them not to interfere with water channels and to also tell others that those guilty, that we are coming for them.”

    The senior Special Assistant on Monitoring Inspection and Enforcement to the minister of FCT, Ikahro Attah expressed shocked at the level of illegality in the area.
    He said,”I am very surprised at the level of illegality here, thanks to Development Control who spotted this illegality here. People decided to build on water way,constructing on stream making this area Gwarinpa prone to flooding.”

    “They even pushed the stream to a point that if there is an heavy rain,there will be massive flooding and this is a disaster waiting to happen.
    ‘Very sad here, the FCTA through Federal Capital Territory, Emergency Management Agency, FEMA and other components agencies had given warning , the Federal Government had given warning through the water resources, NIMET has also warned against an impending flooding.”

    But people decided to build on the flood plain with only about 15 meters distance, some built zero meters, some on minus 3 meters thereby constricting the water way.

    If when disaster strikes, they will blame Government as unserious, this is why we are removing all of them by the water corridor, Attah explained.
    He said that work is still ongoing emphasizing that all houses on the water plain are going,
    “We are counting them, we don’t know the number yet. The Development Control are really showing commitment to save lives, so that flooding would not happen in Gwarinpa.

    “The FCTA is really committed to ensuring that lives are not lost as a result of flooding.”

    Speaking on the environmental of sanitation in the affected area, Attah lamented that not even one soak away in the whole community, adding that once anyone defecates and urinate everything comes straight to the stream and that is a disaster waiting to happen anytime soon.
    He stressed that the people cannot dig soak away because the place is a water bed.
    FCTA is also trying to prevent flooding so that when rain comes, it will have a wilder flood plain to pass through, Attah said.

  • FCTA boots illegal settlers, scavengers, traders out of Gwarimpa

    FCTA boots illegal settlers, scavengers, traders out of Gwarimpa

    By Joyce Remi- Babayeju

    In a bid to install environmental sanity in the FCT, the FCTA yesterday booted illegal settlers, trades and scavengers from shanties constituting nuisance out of Gwarimpa.

    The shanties affected were illegal structures and scrap materials sitting on a right of way of a major road network around Angwan Berberi, off Efab Estate, and behind Kado Fish Market, near Lifecamp axis of Gwarinpa District of Abuja.

    Also cleared were Illegal settlers residencies built with sacks inside an undeveloped plot beside the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Efab Road, by Adebowale Gas Station, in the area.

    The exercise was carried out by FCTA officials under the umbrella of its Security Command and Control Centre with over two hundred joint security personnel and field officers drawing from Development Control Department, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and other relevant agencies.

    Mr. Ikharo Attah, the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the FCT Minister, who spoke to journalists said that the action followed a complaint sent to the FCT Administration through Command and Control Centre, due to high level of proliferation of shanties, scavengers (aka Baba-Bolas) and others in the area.

    Attah said the FCTA discovered a very worrisome development on the road, which is Cadastral C02 road corridor here in Gwarinpa, which people started building houses on it.

    “We cleared all the shanties and we have marked the houses, and warned people to be aware of two areas they must not build on- road corridors and waterways.”

    “We have given them enough time to move, we have removed some of them before, and they returned. So we keep giving enough time over and over again, and the question is we have given you enough time, but have you given the government enough time before coming to put illegalities?

    “Most of the FCDA road corridors are transit ways not yet constructed, but people have already build on them.”

    “We have taken notice of all of them; we have gotten their numbers and we are going to be coming very heavily on them. And those who are building on waterways and green areas, we will be coming very heavily against them.”

    It is very worrisome when you see a beautiful road corridor that is yet to be constructed , and people are building on it, it is very disturbing. But our appeal is to residents not to allow people come and built kiosks and anything on the road within their neighbourhoods”, Ikaro stressed.

    One of the owners of the houses in the area, who claimed to be Barrister, but pleaded anonymity, lamented that she had bought the land and had spent not less than three million to develop the structure.

    She expressed shock over the development, as she and her had planned to move into the newly finished house today, only see her house marked for demolition.

    She said: “we just finished, and we intended to pack in today; we actually spent about 3 million Naira to set this building in this area.”

    “Actually no notice was given to us, and we acquired the land through the Chief of the village, at the rate of N220,000.00.”

    “You can see people living in this environment are stranded now, so the government should give us time, since it is not ready to make uss of the road now.”

    “I wish to appeal that the authorities should give us sufficient notice, because we are human beings and looking at the economic situation of this country, people are just working to eat, as they can’t even pay their rents.”

    Another affected resident, who identified himself as Mr Samson, whose place of residence was demolished admitted that most people were aware that the area has been reserved for a major road, linking many parts of the nation’s capital city.

    He said that the major problem we have with them (FCTA officials) is that they didn’t informed us before coming to demolish our houses, so as to enable us remove our belongings, without suffering any loss.”