Citizens Right Advocate (CRA) yesterday faulted the demolition of Diamond Acres estate early this year by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on alleged grounds of sitting directly on the Ring Road 4, saying it was predicated on wrong reasons.
Prior to the demolition of the estate containing 64 duplexes , the Coordinator of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Umar Shuaibu and the Director of Development Control, Galadima Muktar had on the 6th of January this year briefed journalists over 750 illegal shanties and some developed property FCTA had marked for demolition for violating safety standards.
Specifically, Shuaibu said the Diamond Acre estate was built on Ring Road 4 and the estate must go, just as he berated its owner for being stubborn and disregarding development guidelines.
According to him, the owner of the project has refused to follow due instructions after many development control notices allegedly served on him to stop work.
Diamond Acre Estate with 64 duplex completed buildings was situated in the midst of the ‘Urban Shelter’, ‘AMAC Housing Estate’, and ‘Carlin Concept International Ltd ‘at the Kyami District on Airport Road, collectively said to be on Ring Road 4 course way.
But in his reaction to reasons given by the FCTA for the demolition of the Diamond Acres the CRA General Secretary, Barrister Austin Uzendu in a signed statement, said the proposed Ring Road 4 project have all along been set aside because of the rocky hill on its course which requires to be blasted.
Uzendu said FCTA was economical with the facts because the Urban Shelter, AMAC Housing Estate, and Carlin Concept International Ltd estates were also affected by the proposed Ring Road 4 construction, yet they have not been demolished.
The group which said it took time to thoroughly investigate FCTA positions and that of the prime-mover of the estate stated that following the law earlier enacted banning the blasting of the hills by Modibo’s administration to preserve ecological or environmental features of the Federal Capital Territory, this proposed road network was discontinued.
Uzendu said the question is, at what point was the estate developer asked to stop work, is it at the beginning, midcourse or at the completion stage? “FCTA said it issued Stop Work Notice, when the law requires it to give Acquisition Notice in attempt for the authority to acquire a citizen’s landed property for public use.
“Our findings show that the work was in full gear just as the contractors handling the site were already engaged and settled in lieu of full completion of the constructions aimed at timely delivery to customers when the stop order was issued.
“Moreover, the developer genuinely secured title to the land, and obtained relevant documentations before commencing the construction of the estate buildings,” he explained.
They group in the statement added that “Prime-movers of the Diamond Acres appear not interested in invoking their legal right on this matter,” saying they have deep regard for the FCT Minister, trusting that he would do the needful since plethora of authority and laws of the country dictate that when a citizen’s landed property is acquired for the overriding public interest which in this case is the construction of the Ring Road 4, the title holder of the land must be adequately compensated