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From Fred Itua, Abuja
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has initiated moves to relocate the largest mechanic village in the nation’s capital, popularly called Apo Mechanic Village, to a permanent site, 25 years after the notion was first suggested by the FCT administration.
This is coming, even as he dismissed speculations that he had given a deadline for dwellers of the mechanic village to move out or risk demolition.
Wike also warned officials against nepotism in the allocation of shops. According to the administration, the relocation would see thousands of auto technicians, spare parts dealers, and other ancillary service providers being moved from the current road corridor where they operate, to a more expansive permanent site in Wasa district.
Inaugurating a 19-member technical committee on the relocation of auto technicians from Apo to Wasa, the Minister, who was represented by the Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Agency (AMMC), Felix Obuah, said for years, the technicians had lost hope and were afraid that the place could be demolished at any time.
He said rather than embark on any demolition, the Wike-led administration has decided to first provide a better alternative and ensure an orderly migration before demolishing the current site to pave the way for expansion of the roads.
Obuah said: “You will recall that sometimes two weeks ago, we were planning to see how we could relocate the Apo mechanic, who had been operating on the right of way.
“We have set up a technical committee to go into Wasa and Apo to enumerate who and who we are relocating. This is what we have done today; at the end of that, we will be able to give accurate time when we are going to relocate them.
“I have handed over some of the things they need, most of these people are still coming even as of now. When you think you have finished, others are coming; they have over 30,000 people, and we have to be sure that this number they are brandishing are actually existing. We have to verify, open a database to make sure that everybody we are allocating is actually on the road corridor.
“We are not doing this as a bazaar, we are doing it so that those who have lost hope of where to trade are now being relocated to a permanent place, that is removed from the road corridor.
“It is the hope that was lost that Mr President, through the Minister, has been restored, but I am assuring you this thing will not take more than three months for all these things to be done. It has to do with technical, engineering, allocation, and resettlement, so it is not a day’s work. We have to build a prototype that other people can also follow up. It is not an easy thing.
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“We want to make sure that Abuja wears its status as the capital of Nigeria, and so the Minister gave an approval that those occupying the right of way should leave so that construction can start in that area.
“As a man who has human feelings, he felt that there is no need moving in to chase the people without providing an alternative. It was on that note that a better place that can take care of this set of people was provided in Wasa.
“In making sure that we relocate all of them, we invited them for a meeting and let them know our intentions. We cannot do that without also bringing the relevant teams that will help us to achieve this to make sure that there is no problem.
“That is why we have decided to inaugurate a technical committee that will see to the efficient relocation of these people. That is why we have invited all the technical teams so that by the time we start, we will be able to handle any challenge that may arise.
“We are inaugurating a 19-member technical team drawn from the Development Control, Abuja Environment Protection Board (AEPB) and Urban Affairs. Others are Resettlement and Compensation, General Counsel and Legal Services; Lands; Urban and Regional Planning, Mapping and Surveying, Finance and Administration, as well as Directorate of Road Traffic Services DRTS/VIO, among others.
“The shops are not to be allocated to our girlfriends, uncles, sisters or relatives. That is why the first term of reference is the enumeration of eligible persons.
“We will do our best to ensure that the people are not shortchanged. We will develop a database for all the technicians and dealers there.
“Some people said we have given a deadline for the traders to go away. That is not true. We haven’t given such a deadline.”
According to Obuah, the committee is to conduct enumeration of eligible auto mechanic-technicians/dealers for possible relocation to Wasa; prepare the relocation site immediately; expeditiously handle the compensation matters; establish demarcations/boundaries of the site; identify areas of integration where necessary; and, review the layout.
Chairman of the Committee, Malam Abubakar Makama, said the issue has been lingering for over 25 years without any solution, and thanked the coordinator for swinging into action within just three months in office.
