Govt ups enforcement against unapproved motor parks, animal grazing

By Stanley Onyekwere

The officials of the FCTA on Wednesday, resumed its zero tolerance enforcement against unapproved motor parks, herding of cows in restricted areas and other nuisances.
To this end, during the combined enforcement, the officials impounded 16 vehicles at the front of Federal secretariat, Eagle square, Appeal Court junction and the federal ministry of women affairs.
Also the team, also cleared illegal food vendors and hawkers around MTN office, off Aguiyi Ironsi street in Maitama, said to be one of the hideouts for criminals.
The exercise, which was extended to Lugbe on the ever busy Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport road, led to the confiscation of four cows and arrest of seven beggars, for allegedly constituting nuisance to the environment.
Explaining the exercise, Secretary, FCTA Command and Control Centre, Peter Olumuji reiterated that the administration was keen on making the city clean and safe for the residents.
Olumuji noted that the operation was the continuation of enforcing sanity across the city by combined officials of Abuja Environmental Protection Board, Social Development Secretariat, Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) with support from the security agencies.
Olumuji said: “The FCT Administration is poised to ensuring a clean and safe city, last week, we had an enforcement on illegal cattle grazing.
“The exercise is meant to tackle various nuisances within the territory, especially the aspect of illegal motor parks, most of the taxi can be used for criminal purposes.
“We are also Clearing and arresting of beggars across the territory as part of measures to maintain sanity.
“The enforcement on open grazing shows that FCT Administration still has zero tolerance for herding cattle in unauthorised places, today we have arrested about four cows. We also arrested somebody that has been impersonating as a security operative before members of the public, but today luck ran out of him. The police will handle it and he will be prosecuted accordingly.”
He added that the exercise was going to be sustained for the good of the Federal Capital Territory and its residents.
Similarly, the Head of operations, Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), Deborah Osho, said illegalities will not be allowed to continue in the city.
According to her, “indiscriminate parking of vehicles, operating of illegal parks and motorcycles plying unauthorised places, if allowed would dent the image of Abuja, as a federal capital.
“The exercise is a general clean up that is aimed at restoring sanity across the territory, this is also in line with the directive of the Senate recently, that the FCT Administration should end illegal motor parks in the territory.”