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15 Years After, AMMC Sets-up Committee To Relocate Apo Mechanics, Technicians

Barely 15 years after the relocation saga, the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) has set-up a committee to relocate mechanics and technicians operating along road corridors to Wasa District in the Federal Capital Territory. 

AMMC Coordinator, Felix Obuah, who inaugurated the 19-member technical committee on Monday in Abuja, disclosed that the plan was part of efforts to sanitise Abuja. 

The committee members were drawn from the Department of Development Control, Abuja Environment Protection Board and Urban Affairs, Resettlement and Compensation, General Counsel and Legal Services Secretariat.

Others were from the Land’s Department, Urban and Regional Planning, Mapping and Surveying, Finance and Administration, and Directorate of Road Traffic Services.

They are expected to safely relocate between 20,000 to 30,000 members in the mechanic village. 

Obuah stated that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike had directed that residents occupying the right of way should be relocated to the permanent site in Wasa in order to commence road construction in the affected areas.

He maintained that rather than demolishing temporary and illegal sites, the Wike-led FCTA provided a better alternative and ensured an orderly migration before demolishing the temporary sites.

The director pointed out that the essence of the relocation is to expand existing roads and construct others such as the road corridor occupied by the Apo mechanic village.

 “The mechanics and technicians have 20,000 to 30,000 members. We have to be sure that this number they are brandishing are actually existing. We have to also verify and open a database to make sure that everybody we are allocating is actually on the road corridor," he said. 

Obuah tasked the committee on efficient relocation of the affected mechanics, technicians and other traders in Apo mechanic village, as well as other locations in the FCT.

He informed that the committee members are expected to enumerate eligible mechanics, technicians, dealers and other traders operating on the same corridor, including furniture makers. 

The director enjoined the committee to prepare the relocation site immediately, handle compensation matters, establish demarcations and boundaries of the site, identify areas of integration where necessary and review the layout.

Chairman of the committee, Abubakar Makama explained that the resettlement issue had lingered for over 15 years without any solution, just as he appreciated the coordinator for swinging into action within three months in office.

Makama promised that the committee would be diligent, fair, transparent, and accountable in discharging the assigned responsibilities.

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