By Ben Adoga
To curtail the spate of insecurity in FCT satellite towns, an Abuja first class traditional ruler, the Sakaruyi of Karu has called on the FCT Administration to enforce the existing anti-street trading law to sanitize the area.
The Sakaruyi of Karu, HRH Emmanuel Yepwi said the FCT Committee on City Sanitation should come to his domain and forcefully remove miscreants who are making life difficult for law-abiding residents.
The monarch cried out when the Ministerial Committee on City Sanitation led by the SSA, Monitoring and Enforcement al, Attah Ikharo visited him on sensitization towards city sanitation.
Yep said the criminals hibernate in shanties under different guises but perpetrate crime at the slightest opportunity.
The Monarch who disclosed this when the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection, and Enforcement to FCT Minister, Ikharo Attah visited him over the weekend, said it was discovered that the illegalities being perpetrated by some of these criminal elements live in makeshift shanties and other illegal structures around the community, while some who pretend to be traders have defied all rules and taken over the roadside for their activities.
He noted that he has been mobilizing the powers within his constitutional reach to fight these illegalities, but now needs the government’s support to defeat them and restore sanity to his domain.
He specifically noted with dismay, that some of the people who disguise as traders at Karu Market but may have other nefarious plans, have taken over the roadsides, and are causing unbearable traffic stress to road users.
Yep urged the Ministerial Committee on City Sanitation to quickly intervene by removing all illegal structures within Karu, one of the largest satellite towns in FCT.
The first-class monarch said the natives are in full support of the city sanitation going on and that it should be extended to Karu before things get out of hand.
” Tell the minister we support him fully for whatever he wants to do to remove all these traders from the roads. We have been warning them to leave but they refused.
Earlier in his remarks, Attah said the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello had expressed worries over the illegalities in the Karu satellite town and would work in synergy with all stakeholders to address them.
He also disclosed that the visit to the Sakaruyi’s Palace was motivated by the myriad of complaints that have continued to trickle in from residents living in the Karu axis.
Attah added, that more worrisome was a situation where some traders have arrogantly abandoned the empty spaces in the Karu Market and opted to sell by the roadsides, not minding the traffic problems being created by their actions.
Attah expressed worry that ” some traders are selling directly under high tension wire. Some have decided to build makeshift shops and cover the transformer. All this, your Royal Highness aren’t good forisn’tin particular and the city at large.”
The Head of Department of Works in Abuja Municipal Area Council, Architect Andrew Gaza who was with the team hailed plans of the FCT Administration to rid the area of those illegalities.
