The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council of the Federal Capital Administration has clarified the demolition of a mechanic shed and a building at Plot 1765 in the Games Village area of the FCT, on Thursday.
The AMMC said the plot was allotted to the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council in 2012, for the construction of its AMMC Senior Staff Housing Estate.
Addressing the press following the demolition exercise, the AMMC Director of Admin and Finance Naziru Isa, explained that the demolition carried out on Thursday concluded efforts by the AMMC to reclaim the plot in its first attempt three years ago.
He added that the illegal settlers had obstructed the contractor when they made initial efforts to begin the construction on the plot.
“What you have seen today is not a process that started and finished today. It has been there. It is an unfinished development or process which is accomplished today. Somewhere back three years now, the office wanted to take over its housing estate. But on going there on the ground, we met an illegal development on the plots.
There was a private school, run by a private person, a private business in short. And then there was also this mechanic workshop all on this land, Plot number 1765, and then it was duly served. The abatement notices were duly served by the site officers then and it was processed for enforcement. And then when it had gotten the approval for the enforcement, the office went and started the removal, then there was an outcry by the (Games Village) Association which halted the development, and a committee was formed.
Isa added that the Committee had submitted its report after fact-finding missions to the plot, following which the Minister of the FCT, had approved the development of the housing development.
Also speaking, the Assistant Director of Urban Affairs at the AMMC, Abubakar Makama, stated that the reclaimed plot was allocated to the Council in 2012, by the then Minister of the FCT, Nasir El-Rufai, adding that the Council had previously issued quit notices, and acquired every necessary document, including its Right of Occupancy, and receipts and tellers from the Abuja Geographic Information System, justifying proper acquisition of the plot.
“We have served management of Games Village several notices before carrying out the demolition today, there are correspondences to justify our action. It is not a new thing, we started the demolition about four months ago, we only went there today to complete the exercise, and all the relevant documents are available. We must not forget that the issue has been on for three years”, he said.
