The indigenous People of Kubwa, Bwari Area Council have urged the Federal Capital Territory Ministerial Taskforce on City Sanitation to halt its ongoing demolition in the area.
Mr John Gabaya, the Chairman, Bwari Area Council made the appeal when he led members of Kubwa village to the taskforce Chairman, Mr Ikharo Attah, on Friday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that following a recent kerosene tank explosion that claimed 10 lives in Kubwa Village, the taskforce stormed the area and pulled down structures built against the approved plan to pave way for free flow of traffic and ensure sanity.
Gabaya, represented by the Council Secretary, Mr Ella Kadanya, appealed to the chairman to reach out to the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, to give them more time to identify and correct grey areas not in line with the government template.
He said that the challenges encountered in the area were caused by expansion due to the increase in population.
“The increase in population and struggle for expansion by the people is what is causing most of the challenges.
“But I am assuring the taskforce that we will not disappoint them, they should give us time to meet with our people and correct the errors.
“We are not against sanity but the FCT Administration through the taskforce on city sanitation should allow us to do more engagement and sensitisation.
“We will not fail in playing our part. We are begging the minister to stop the issue of demolition for now,” he said.
Earlier, the former council’s Chairman, Mr Musa Dikko, said that the natives should be carried along during demolition.
Dikko said that the indigenous people presently in Kukwaba, Jaji and Kubwa were relocated to the area in 1990, when there was no population explosion but the increase called for additional plans for expansion.
Responding, Attah said that clearing the area of illegal structures was not meant to hurt the residents but to bring sanity that would help in averting future disaster.
He said that their request would be communicated to the FCT Minister for further directives.
“I am working under the directives of the Minister of FCT, Malam Muhammad Bello, who is concerned about making Abuja a great city that the residents and visitors will be proud of.
“I will present your prayers to the minister who’s decision is supreme,” he added. (NAN)