Again, FCT demolishes 30 houses in Mpape community

Threatens to terminate contracts in Galuwyi-Shere scheme

Determined to bring sanity to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the Department of Development control of the administration has demolished over 30 houses, shanties and other illegal structures in Mpape community in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

The exercise has equally render over 60 families in the community homeless even as many were seen running helter-skelter to salvage the remains of their belongings, while others wept uncontrollably.The Guardian gathered that similar demolition was carried out in the area last year where over 20 houses were pull down.

One of the affected residents, Michael Ogbeh told The Guardian that he invested all his money in his building early this year, only for the department to demolish it in a matter of minutes.Ogbeh said that at present, his family have no other place to go take shelter, because the demolished property is all what he has and pleaded for assistance from individuals and government.

“In fact, I am confused, because I don’t even know what to do or where else to go with my family, as a result of this demolition. I must tell you that this is the only house I have in the whole of Abuja and it has been demolished.”He claimed to have acquired the land from a Gbagyi indigene in the area, through the community leader, adding that the chief of the community knows about all land business in his domain.

Speaking with newsmen at the end of the exercise, an Assistant Director of the Development Control Department, Oyewale Oyedola, explained that the demolition became necessary to create way for the construction of an approved layout/railway corridors that traverse the area.Oyedola, who monitored the demolition exercise, on behalf of his boss, Mukhtar Galadima, added that the residents were served necessary vacation notices for over three weeks before the demolition exercise.

Meanwhile, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) has ordered the contractors handling infrastructural projects at the Galuwyi- Shere resettlement scheme in Bwari Area Council to complete work or have their contracts terminated.FCDA Executive Secretary Jubril Umar who gave the warning after the inspection of facilities at the scheme in Bwari, expressed displeasure over the poor handling of   access roads, electricity and water projects in the resettlement estate.

Umar also disclosed that the authority will soon begin the eviction of illegal occupants in the, stressing that the administration will soon commence the resettlement programme.He said that out of the nine communities earmarked for the scheme, Jabi Yakubu Community would be the first beneficiary.

While conducting the Executive Secretary round the site, FCDA Director of Public Buildings, Anthony Odigie explained that the project started in 2005 with the intention to build 2, 266 houses and by 2009 only 1400 were completed while others were at various stages of completion. 

Odigie however said, due to problems such as the non-payment of contractors, litigations among others led to the dilapidation and vandalization of the completed houses until 2017 when FCDA began rehabilitation to make them habitable ahead of the resettlement.

Hos words: “The project started in 2005 with the intention to build 2,266 houses and by 2009 we had about 1400 completed, then others were at various stages of completion. So there were problems along the line, problem of payment and so on and those who have not completed their award left the site and then the houses were vandalized, those that completed became deteriorated.” 

Earlier, Speaker of the Bwari Legislative Council, Julius Adamu called on the Federal Government and the FCT administration to provide basic infrastructure, including roads, water, electricity, schools and health facilities before the resettlement of the affected communities, noting that the present state of the camp was not descent for human occupation.