By Stanley Onyekwere
To mitigate alleged distortion of Abuja Masterplan, the FCT Administration has ordered for the immediate suspension of all site clearance, engineering works and other activities in Katampe Extension area of Abuja, the Federal Capital City (FCC).
This, followed a strong directive by the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello issued yesterday, in the wake of a purported proliferation of illegal quarry activities and estate development, allegedly causing serious environmental challenges in the area, which is against the principle guiding the development of the city.
Making this disclosure during a routine monitoring exercise, the Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) Umar Shuaibu noted preliminary inspection revealed that all the ongoing development in the area were illegal, as no approval had been given to anybody to commence development there.
Shuaibu warned that anyone that is caught while carrying out earth works and other nefarious activities, will be arrested and made to face the wrath of the law.
The AMMC boss, who was accompanied by the representative of all the relevant departments and agencies in the development of the city, including the Police that provided security cover to the officials at the site, said the activities are going to be subjected to scrutiny by the relevant professionals.
“The FCT Minister has directed that all development in that area must be suspended henceforth. He also directed all matters relating to quarry activity should be channeled to the newly established Department of Solid mineral and allied matters, which is the regulatory authority.
“So, from now, we have stopped whatever activity that is taking place here for any type of development, as whatever development that is going on here is illegal, because we have not given approval to anybody to commence development here.
“And that is why we are having environmental challenges. People are blasting rocks here, thereby endangering the houses around, so there is no way we can allow it to continue.
“Whatever development that involves rock blasting, must go through the Solid mineral and Allied matters Department, which is created to take care of that now.
“ And anybody that is blasting rocks and clearing land here is doing so illegally, and anyone that is caught in the act will be arrested”, he stressed.
However, three persons caught supervising ongoing earthworks at three sites for the development of estates in area, were apprehended and taken to the facility of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) in Area 3, for further question on their involvement in the menace.
