By Stanley Onyekwere
As the Sanitation taskteam of the FCT Administration yesterday sustained its demolition of illegal structures in the ever busy Jabi motor Park and environs, some scavengers went berserk in search of valuables from the debris at the site.
It was observed that during the demolition at Lagos line area of the park, which is the last phase, the Scavengers were avidly going after the scraps, despite the heavy presence of combined security men.
Recall that the exercise was in continuation of its ongoing demolition exercise to restore the Abuja master plan that has been infringed on by some property owners.
The Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the FCT Minister, Ikharo Attah, who led the exercise, said the essence of the clean up was to remove all illegal structures and restore the original master plan.
He also explained that most of the buildings failed integrity test while others and can not be allowed to stand because of contravention
Attah noted that the FCT minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has mandated the demolition team to bring about sanity by removing all illegal structures to pave way for the new approved Jabi motor Park plan.
He said: “ Yesterday, (Monday) we removed the illegal structures and today we are removing those structures that are death trap and have failed integrity test as well, the exercise is not limited to insecurity.
“The Scavengers are not stopping us from doing our work, but we are disturbed because they have taken over the whole place”, Attah said.
However, one of the traders at the scene, Joy Johnson decried the demolition and described it as frustrating of common people.
“I didn’t feel good, other traders too are not happy. It is frustrating. We are very angry because we don’t know what the country is turning into, does it mean the government want us to be roaming the street?
“We deserve to be given two to three years demolition notice, how can people be treated this way?”, he stressed.
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