Authority of the Nigerian Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA , through its Department Of Development Control has issued a one week ultimatum to Lugbe Timber-Shade- Traders to relocate their businesses to other markets to enable the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, execute a high powered electricity project in the area.
The Director of the department, TPL Murktar Galadima, gave the warning during an interface with stakeholders from the Timber -Shade -Traders and TCN in Abuja.
Galadima who explained that the proposed electricity project which is to be situated around ring road 3 in Lugbe axis, was conceived to provide adequate electricity supply into the territory.
He noted that relevant notices has been served and affected persons compensated.
According to him, the Department of Development Control is set to roll out it’s bulldozers towards reclaiming the area for the national project that would benefit all citizens.
“No activity should take place under this power line. All affected persons have been compensated. It is dangerous to disregard warnings. Please evacuate your belongings because of radiation. Each project circle has a time line. We schedule our time table to commence removal of structures on that corridor by 19th, but we have extended the date till Friday next week to enable traders move their wares, machines, and other belonging from the powerline,” he said.
In a remark,the Assistant General Manager in charge of Health, Safety and Environment, Transmission Company Of Nigeria, Mr Arome Adole, who gave an overview of the project, said 5 new sub-transmission stations would be built to address power shortages in Abuja and is expected to be completed by December 31st 2023.
He said, “For safety reasons it is dangerous and not safe to operate around the area. We are building 5 new substations. We just commissed one in wamba and Dawaki that is already supplying power to part of kubwa, others are in Apo, Kuje and Lubge. The entire objective of the problem is to improve power in FCT.
“We have few issues. There are people dragging us up and down that the project is encroaching on their assets, and most of them have been compensated, but some of them are still saying something else…we are appealing to them to consider the overall interest of the general public.”
Reacting, the Secretary, Lugbe- Timber-Shade Traders- Association, Mr Lucky Obi Igwe who thanked FCTA for inviting them for the interface, appealed for one month extension to enable them source for alternative shops else where.
Also, the Vice Chairman, General Building Material, Mr Emmanuel Eze, who admitted that the traders have always known they will one day leave the place, frowned that the one week ultimatum was too short for them to evacuate their machines.
He also used the medium to appeal to the FCT Administration to establish police post in ACO Estate Market where they were asked to relocate to, and grade the road to ensure the safety of lives and security of their goods and machines.
“There, we don’t have road to the ACO building material market where they told us to go to. We don’t have security. Most of our customers that do come here were robbed along the road. Even, the place will not contain all of us, it is too small” Eze lamented.
Confidence Okwuchi
