The minister, at a meeting with the senior officials of the Department of Land Administration today at the Banquet Hall, Minister’s official residence, Gwarinpa I District (Life-Camp), Abuja, stressed that his administration would not condone arbitrary allocations of land in the Territory, as all land allocation must follow due process by following all extant rules.
“Due process must be followed in all land dealings in the Federal Capital Territory because the rules must be followed to bring sanity to that sub-sector.”
The minister directed the Satellite Towns Development Department (STDD) to immediately relocate to Karshi Satellite Town to enable them focus on their job.
According to him, the relocation has become necessary to enable the department perform it functions properly.
Malam Musa Bello instructed that the STDD must concentrate on road network to open up the rural areas and ease pressure on the existing ones.
He directed the Management of the STDD to liaise with the Chairmen of the six Area Councils to fine tune ways of making and keeping the Area Councils and Satellite Towns clean at all times.
This is even as the FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye has said that commercial motorcycles (Okada) and tricycles (Keke Napep) remain banned from operating within the 250 square kilometers of the Federal Capital City, Abuja.
The Permanent Secretary who made this known as he had a meeting with the Executive Officers of the sector unions of the Okada/Keke-Napep Owners and Riders at the FCT Minister’s Conference Room, Area 11, Garki I District, Abuja, said that tricycles and motorcycles, popularly called Okada and Keke would only operate outside the city centre and designated areas like estates and Area Councils respectively.
Dr. Ajakaiye stated that the Abuja Master Plan did not make provision for Okada and Keke to ply in the Abuja city centre; adding that the FCT Administration would ensure this law is not flouted.
“Okada remains banned throughout the Abuja city centre and Keke will also not operate within the city centre too, except in designated areas like estates.”
He said that majority of the roads in the Abuja city are express roads, because the Abuja Master Plan as well as the Abuja Transportation Master Plan never envisaged the use of commercial motorcycles and Keke Napep.
According to him, commercial motorcycles are injurious to the riders as well as the passengers and the government has a duty to protect the lives and property of all her Citizens.
Subsequently, the Permanent Secretary read out the resolutions after the meeting, which was all agreed and adopted by the stakeholders present.
The stakeholders at the meeting resolved that no Okada and Keke must operate in the City Centre and that they immediately form Associations to be registered with the FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Services (VIO).
All commercial riders of tricycle or motorcycle, it was agreed, must belong to one of the Unions or Association for easy identification and control, particularly with the prevailing security situation in the country. [myad]
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