By Akanimo Sampson
From next week, businesses operating in Maitama district of Abuja, will no longer find the area very comfortable to operate from.
Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) will be sealing up businesses in the area including financial institutions.
Before now, they were given seven days notice to vacate and relocate to the Central Business District or risk being sealed up.
Acting Director, Department of Development Control, Garba Kwamkur, who gave the ultimatum when the department stormed the popular Gana Street in Maitama district, stressed the need for business operators, especially banks to relocate to their original locations.
Kwamkur said the department had earlier served notifications to all the buildings that have been converted to commercial use, to revert to residential status, which they were meant for, adding that the businesses have failed to comply with the notices.
He therefore directed the banks, as well as other business organisations in the district to relocate to Central Business District or Idu Industrial Estate, in line with the provision of the FCT master plan, even as he warned that their business premises would be sealed at the expiration of the seven days ultimatum.
The acting director said over 200 hectares of land in the FCC has been encroached upon by illegal land grabbers raising unapproved structures around the Lugbe district, while over 150 criminals have encroached into areas meant for public facilities in the Sabon-Wuse area of the district.
“As you are aware the FCT Administration has pronounced that Lugbe will be incorporated into the Federal Capital City proper, so the plan is being incorporated to have the same kind of infrastructure as those in the city.
“This area was planned for public facilities such as schools, markets, hospitals, and other public utilities, but land now grabbers have encroached into the area and captured all the plots meant for public facilities and are developing them as housing estates thereby denying space for the necessary amenities that will be needed for the district in the future”, he said.
