Follow Us on Google
From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
Attempts by officials of the Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB) to clear Bukuru metropolis of illegal structures snowballed into a crisis as traders went berserk, burning houses, shops and cars.
The incident came after JMDB officials had, in the early hours of yesterday, done the same in the Terminus area of Jos metropolis.
Though the exercise in Terminus went on smoothly without hitches, that of Bukuru became violent as hoodlums, said to be aided by some traders averse to the exercise, decided to take the law into their hands.
General Manager of JMDB, Engr. Hart Bonkat, who spoke to Daily Sun on phone, said while the exercise in Bukuru was going on, some hoodlums attacked JMDB officials. He said he learnt that two people were shot, though he said he couldn’t confirm that as he left the hoodlums burnt cars and structures.
He said: “As usual, we were in Bukuru to clear the place of illegal structures and some people took the law into their hands by attacking our men. When I left, I learnt that they started burning cars and buildings. I also learnt that two people were shot, but I haven’t confirmed that.”
Speaking earlier at the Terminus Market, Bonkat said no matter what, the Caleb Mutfwang administration is determined to restore the Jos/Bukuru market as part of the urban renewal programme.
He said, “You know, his excellency was very clear when he highlighted urban renewal as part of the major policy thrust of this government. And part of urban renewal is having to resuscitate the old city to its initial state.
“As we’ve gone around now, you’ve seen that we are trying to demarcate the setbacks and then clear our drainages, where they’ve collapsed. We’re going to have to construct new ones. And, then, where the roads are filled, we’ll try to see whether we can convince the government, so that it will be captured in the budget for those things to be done.
“And we are hoping that in the soonest possible time, the whole of these places will take shape again, and then the city will regain its place of glory.
The grace period given for regularisation of building permits is till June 10. So, right now, we’re in the spirit of enforcement for the building control and then we are still ongoing with the vehicular traffic control.
“And while we are doing that, we are also going to try as much as possible to see that where buildings are done in error, we have to take them away. Like you noticed, when we went to the river, you could see the state of the buildings at that point. I definitely advise them on what to do and, then, where it is not condonable, we have to tell them to take it away to provide space for us for development.
He said many people who fell foul of vehicular traffic control have been prosecuted and made to pay fines and expressed happiness that a considerable measure of sanity had returned to Jos and Bukuru.
Mutfwang had enacted Executive Order 003,: to rid the Jos and Bukuru metropolis of illegal structures and shanties, in order to restore the state to its original master plan. The law also prohibited heavy trucks from entering the city centre during the day time.
