As part of renewed efforts to eliminate the persistent traffic gridlock along the Dutsen Alhaji axis of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, the FCT Ministerial Task Team on free flow of traffic in the territory has ordered banks and owners of business premises around “Dutsen Alhaji first gate area” to immediately revert to the original land use of their properties by changing their entry points.
The directive was a fallout of an inspection tour of the route by the road traffic and other officials of the FCTA Departments of Development Control and the Abuja Environmental Protection Board.
Chairman of the Task Team, Ikharo Attah, head Enforcement unit of the AEPB, Kaka Bello and the Dutsen-Alhaji/Dawaki district Development Control officer, Mrs Blessing Ugochuwu, who inspected the affected issued a-72 hour notice beginning from yesterday (Monday) to revert to the original land use.
The businesses alongside roadside petty traders have been largely responsible for the traffic problems on the Dutsen Alhaji- Bwari road.
Chairman of the task team, Mr Attah observed that “the property owners have altered the land use by opening up entrances facing the dual carriageway instead of the approved main entrance facing the street behind.”
Attah explained that the Banks and other business premises converted the road shoulders to their parking lots, adding that short fences were constructed which stretched into the already congested road that is under reconstruction.
He said: “They were handed down a 72-hour notice to immediately seal up their current entrance gates with block walls or face severe sanctions.”
Similarly, Mrs Ugochukwu immediately directed some development control personnel to mark the buildings for entrance point contravention warning that the bulldozers would soon be rolling in if the property owners fail to do the needful as and when due.
The team also inspected the ever-busy ‘Monday market’ at Dutsen Alhaji during which Mr Kaka Bello of the AEPB reaffirmed that the market must never be allowed to spill into the roadside again.
