Group faults demolition of Diamond Acres Estate by FCTA

By Christiana Ekpa Abuja

A group, known as ‘’Citizens’ Right Advocate’’ has faulted the demolition of Diamond Acres estate by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) early this year.
Peoples Daily gathered that, FCTA demolished the Estate on the grounds that it was sitting directly on the Ring Road 4, which the group alleged that the predication was on wrong reasons.
Also on January 6, 2018, Coordinator of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Umar Shuaibu and the Director of Development Control, Galadima Muktar briefed the journalists over the 750 illegal shanties and some developed property FCTA had marked for demolition for violating safety standards.
Specifically, Shuaibu said the Diamond Acre Estate was built on Ring Road 4 and the estate must go, just as he berated its owner for being stubborn and disregarding development guidelines.
Shuaibu said the owner of the project has refused to follow due instructions after many development control notices earlier served on him to stop work, adding that the developer did not recourse to due process in obtaining necessary development control permits before embarking on the building.
Diamond Acre Estate with 64 duplex completed buildings was situated in the midst of the ‘Urban Shelter’, ‘AMAC Housing Estate’, and ‘Carlin Concept International Ltd ‘at the Kyami District on Airport Road, collectively said to be on Ring Road 4 course way.
While reacting to reasons given by the FCTA for the demolition of the Diamond Acres with completed 64 duplex houses, General Secretary of the group, Barr Austin Uzendu said the proposed Ring Road 4 project have all along been set aside because of the rocky hill on its course which requires to be blasted.
Uzendu said FCTA was economical with the facts because the ‘Urban Shelter’’, ‘’AMAC Housing Estate’’, and ‘’Carlin Concept International Ltd ‘’ estates were also affected by the proposed Ring Road 4 construction, yet they have not been demolished.
The group which said it took time to thoroughly investigate FCTA positions and that of the prime-mover of the estate stated that following the law earlier enacted banning the blasting of the hills by Modibo’s administration to preserve ecological or environmental features of the Federal Capital Territory, this proposed road network was discontinued.