The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) says that indigenous communities must be resettled if the territory must get rid of slum settlements within the city centre.
The Director of FCTA Department of Development Control, Alhaji Mukhtar Galadima, stated this shortly after a demolition exercise at Guzape District, in Abuja Nigeria’s capital.
Galadima emphasised that resettling such communities had become necessary due to the huge population growth usually recorded in such areas.
The director disclosed that many communities would be resettled in the coming year following efforts made by the current administration to relocate communities.
“The Federal Capital Development Authority saddle with this responsibility is up and doing to see that such communities are relocated.
” Already they have initiated a move to relocate communities like Jabi-Yakubu to Shere Galuri. The process of relocating other indigenous communities has commenced so hopefully, more communities will be permanently relocated next year.”
“As long as these Indigent communities are still staying within the city precinct, there will always be other Nigerians that normally hang around them and this leads to the expansion of such communities.
” For us to get the city of our dreams we have to resettle some of these indigenous communities once we do that then we can get a city as envisaged by our founding fathers,” Galadima said.
The director said that over 100 shanties and illegal structures had been pulled down over 100 at the Kpaduma area of Guzape District.
Galadima explained that the demolition was part of the continuous exercise to rid the city of slums and shanties.
He added that the FCT Administration had been in talks with communities to see to the removal of illegal structures and shanties within the city centre.
“These negotiations have been going with indigenous communities before the EndSARS protest and that was why we were able to move to Utako, Jabi, Daki-Biyu, and other indigenous communities.
” We had to step down the exercise during the unfortunate incident of the EndSARS, we have however resumed bow and that is why we had to move to Guzape,” he said.
Nnenna.O
