ZHUL-QI’DA 17, 1429 A.H.
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 13 2008
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Demolition: Council chairman calls for understanding, cooperation
Mr Isa Dara, chairman, Bwari Area Council, has called on residents of the area to assist the task force on illegal structures discharge its duties effectively.
Dara told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bwari that the people should understand that the council wanted the best for them.
``What we are doing today is not new. In fact, we have notified the public on the cleaning of the council. We are doing it in the best interest of all of us,'' he said.
Dara said that clearing of illegal structures had become imperative to sanitise major streets in the council headquarters, adding that the exercise was not political.
``Most traffic hold-ups you find along the major streets are caused by illegal structures and attachments by shop owners,'' he added.
``Approximately, more than 500 structures were pulled down by the task force,'' one of the officials said.
Hannatu Ibrahim, the task force Secretary, said the effort was meant to give Bwari a facelift befitting an Area Council.
``The council headquarters needs a facelift and we need to be conscious of our environment by keeping it clean and tidy always,'' she said.
Some victims of the demolished structures alleged that they were not given notice before the demolition.
Mr Simon Daniel, who owned a provision store on Sabon Gari Road, said: ``We were sitting in front of my shop when we saw the caterpillar with policemen, road safety personnel, civil defence and other council staff moved in to demolish the structures’’.
Jude Pariah, a shoemaker, told NAN that the council should have allowed the construction firm that would construct the township roads to do the work.
The exercise will continue until all illegal structures are removed from the major streets, an official said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the task force structures on five major streets, namely: Market, Zango, Sabon Gari, Ushafa and Kuduru.
