FCTA demolishes 2,000 shanties in Mpape community

By Stanley Onyekwere

No fewer than two thousand illegal structures, mostly shanties were yesterday demolished in Mpape community, one of the densely populated suburbs of Abuja, the nation’s capital city.

It was gathered that the affected shanties made of containers, wooden sack and roofing sheet materials and three solid buildings (storey buildings) situated on the major roadside, were hitherto obstructing traffic flows in the area.

Our correspondent reports that the exercise, came after over three  months of abatement notices and warnings. The angry bulldozers invaded the  community as early as 10am,  pulling down all illegal structures along the road corridors.

Retrospectively, Mpape community, has survived several demolitions since 2004, after slums like Idu- Karimo and other squatter settlements  were dislodged in Abuja.

However, this time, the Federal Capital Territory Administration said the demolition, coming as a thorough sanitation, was requested by residents and landlords who had made  passionate appeals to the Minister, to save them from the traffic gridlock that has made life unbearable in the area.

Explaining the exercise, Chairman, FCT Ministerial Committee on City Sanitation, Ikharo Attah noted that Mpape Residents and Landlords Association six months ago begged the Minister to come to their aid, as illegal  commercial activities have taken over the road corridors.

Attah said the sanitation and demolition was long  overdue and it was targeted at roadside shanties and other unapproved buildings causing obstruction along the road

According to him: “Mpape demolition is requested by the residents and landlords who came to FCTA, requesting the Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello to come and clear the road corridors.

“ So, what we are doing is in line with the request of the people who want the road corridors to be reclaimed so that there will be ease of movement.  As a responsible government, we responded to the cries of the people.

“ We gave them enough notice, but many of them were basking in the euphoria that nobody can clear Mpape.

“ One of the residents that have lived in Mpape for over 20 years has confessed that people can now breathe in fresh road, because of the widened road “.

Also speaking, Peter Olumuji, from the Department of Security Services, said that many of the  shanties and the illegal structures demolition were being occupied by criminal elements.