FCT Demolishes Patience Jonathan’s Property

A department under  Federal capital Territory (FCT) Administration, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), has demolished a multimillion naira sprawling property belonging to former First Lady,  Mrs. Patience Jonathan.

AMMC pulled down  the property for allegedly contravening the FCT Land Use Act.
The demolition of the structure, titled: ‘A. Aruera Reachout Foundation/Women for Change Development Initiative’ in Mabushi Area of Wuse ll, Abuja, was supervised by AMMC Coordinator, Umar Shuaibu.

AMMC accompanied by a joint team of security personnel, bulldozed the multi-purpose hall along with illegal structures behind the main building,   after forcibly gaining access into it.
They said the building contravened development control regulations in the territory as the site it was built was a designated Green area.

Shuiabu, who spoke with journalists, declared that Mrs Jonathan’s and all other structures removed by his organization in Wuse II ,were illegal
“If they have approval, we would not have been there. Everyone must have approval before commencing any development in the FCT. It is because of this that we give three sets of approval –one is to be on the site, another should be with the owner and the other in our file at Development Control Department, so that whenever we go for inspection and require building plan approval, it should be handy, Shuaibu said.

According to him, the FCTA would not stop until all illegal structures in Abuja are removed.
AMMC officials had in November last year, pasted a notice on the wall of the demolished property, asking the owners to produce the necessary approvals within six days before resuming work.
Shuaibu said AMMC carried out the exercise because the first lady refused to comply even when served with notices.
“We have a situation where people are given plots for residential purpose, but they convert them into night clubs so much so that the neighbours are always complaining. We cannot allow them to continue cheating their neighbours, disturbing them in the night and not allowing them to sleep.
“We will not stop at removal of all illegal structures across the Territory, but we will submit for relevant measure that is necessary for that type of action. So it is not only the pulling down, we are now submitting a report, even if it means for the plot to be revoked, because we did not allocate those plots for the use in which they are doing.
“Of course, we are going to sustain this cleaning exercise. We started from Zuba, one of the entry points of the city. We are going round the city, anywhere there is any illegal development in the city, anywhere there is any activity that is obstructing traffic, obstructing peoples activities based on approved designs, we will stop it,” he said.