Development Control clears roadside building dealers in Gudu

In furtherance of its reinvigorated effort to curtail illegal developments in the FCT, Development Control Department of the the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), yesterday cleared roadside building materials dealers in Gudu District.
In particular, officials of the Department stormed and dislodged building materials dealers and other petty businessmen, trading on the walkways and corridors of the busy Oladipo Diya Road (Ring road II), in Gudu.
Also, some dealers were arraigned before a mobile court sitting in the area, where three persons were fined twenty thousand naira each.
Speaking during the exercise, District Monitor for Gudu, Bolatito Babatunde, said the clearance followed several sensitization and service of abatement notices to the affected dealers.
She said the exercise was to restore the environment to its original designated purpose.
According to her, the Department had observed that traders have taken over the walkways and the road corridor, thereby causing causing obstruction of human and vehicular traffic in the area.
She therefore reiterated that the Department will not relent on its effort to sustain and restore the FCT environment, as it intends to take it up with arrest and prosecution of defaulters.
“We have closed and open markets for the traders to display their wares, not the walkways in the area.
“We have Gudu market, building materials market and many other markets in Gudu and environs. So, we plead with them to move into these markets and continue their trade,” she stressed.
On his part, Chairman, Gudu Building Materials Traders Association, Ambrose Ahamefuna, who disclosed its over fifty members were properly warned and asked to leave the walkways.
“We were given adequate warning, so I’m not surprised about what happened today.
“But I’m still pleading with the government to consider allocating a land for some of us, who don’t have any other place to relocate to, so so as to continue doing business.
“We are part of the Gudu Market, but due to the nature of our business, there is no adequate space to store or display our wares. This explains why most of us are on the streets,” he stated.
He however praised the officials for the manners with which they carried out the exercise, as they were allowed to removed their goods during the process.