Dutsen-Alhaji gridlock: Bank, others get 72-hour ultimatum to vacate road corridors

By Stanley Onyekwere

As part of ongoing measures to mitigate the seemingly endless traffic gridlock on Dutsen-Alhaji road, the FCT Administration through its Ministerial Task Team on Free flow of Traffic have issued a 72-hour ultimatum to a bank (name withheld) and business premises to close unapproved entry points on the ever busy road, or face the wrath of the law.
In particular, the Task Team which frowned at the magnitude of infractions on the road corridors, strongly urged owners of the affected structures, located opposite and around Dutsen-Alhaji first gate to swiftly revert to original land use, by changing their entry gates within the period.
This ultimatum was handed when the Traffic and officials of the FCTA departments of Development control and Abuja Environmental protection Board (AEPB) visited the premises.
Our correspondent reports that the Chairman of the Task Team, Comrade Ikharo Attah, head Enforcement unit of the AEPB, Kaka Bello and the Dutsen-Alhaji/Dawaki District Development Control officer, Mrs Blessing Ugochuwu inspected the affected structures, which are contributing to the traffic problems on the Dutse Alhaji- Bwari road.
According to Attah, the chairman of the task team, “the property owners have uttered the land use by opening up entrances facing the dial carriageway instead of the approved main entrance facing the street behind.”
Attah explained that the bank and other business premises converted the road shoulders as their parking spaces, adding that short fences were constructed which stretched into the already congested road, which is under reconstruction.
He explains further that, “ They were handed down 72-hour notice to immediately seal up their current entrance gates with block walls or face severeq sanctions.”
Similarly, Mrs. Ugochuwu immediately directed officers working with her to mark the buildings for entrance point contravention warning that the bulldozers would soon be rolling in if the property owners fail to do the needful.
The team also inspected the ever busy Monday market at Dutsen- Alhaji during which Mr kaka Bello of the AEPB reaffirmed that the Dutse Alhaji market must never return to the roadside again.