The Federal Capital Territory Administration
(FCTA) has debunked media reports that it has
marked the No 4 Oyi River Crescent Secretariat
of the new Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for
demolition, saying that it had only sealed the
building for contravention of land use.
It
was widely reported on Tuesday that the FCTA,
which earlier sealed the nPDP’s secretariat had
marked the building for demolition on October
11, 2013, but it has now been clarified that the
marking was to intimate the property owner to
revert to the original use of the building.
Making the clarification yesterday, the Public
Relations Officer of the FCT Department of
Development Control, Kalu Emetu said the
building was for residential, not political
purpose.
He said, “It is a residential property. What they
have done there is contravention of the land use
and that is why the property was sealed.
“The red marking on the building doesn’t
necessarily mean demolition and if you see the
marking on the building in question, it is clearly
marked revert, that is for the owner to revert to
the original use.”
Emetu further explained that it was important
for the building to be reverted to its original use
so as not to over stretch infrastructure facilities
provided for the area.
Meanwhile, the Abubakar Kawu Baraje-led PDP
yesterday said it might consider legal action
over the marking of its national secretariat by
the FCTA.
The National Publicity Secretary of the faction,
Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze said that the plan
by the administration to demolish the party’s
secretariat is an indication that it was intolerant
of divergent opinions.
Eze, who expressed a bit of concern over the
administration’s lack of respect for court
judgments, said “In a civilized situation, we
would allow them go ahead with the demolition
and then we go to court with our papers to make
sure they rebuild it. But with what we have seen
so far, they have not shown that they will
respect the court. Even during the military days
they did not show this much,” he said, adding
that it was disgustful that the FCTA would
consider demolition of a building for which it
had earlier given approval, “because it has been
hired by us to operate in.”
“We are the oppressed. We are like people
facing the bullet. They are free to shoot us
anyway. We have cried to Nigerians and they
have heard our cry and now it is clear that they
are undemocratic. They cannot tolerate
divergent views and Nigerians have seen that
they cannot be trusted with our leadership,” Eze
added.
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