Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, has set up a 19-member technical committee on the relocation of auto technicians in Apo mechanic village to Wassa District.
It warned its officials against nepotism while carrying out the relocation of shops in the new place.
This move, according to it, would see thousands of auto technicians, spare parts dealers and other ancillary service providers being relocated from the current road corridor where they operate to a more expansive permanent site in Wasa District, a 15 minutes drive from their current location.
While inaugurating the committee, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, who was represented by the Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Agency, AMMC, Felix Obuah disclosed that for years, the technicians had lost hope and were afraid that the place could be demolished at any time.
He, however, said rather than embarking on any demolition, the Wike-led administration decided to provide a better alternative and ensure an orderly migration before demolishing the current site to pave the way for expansion of the roads.
According to him, “You will recall that two weeks ago, we had a meeting to see how we can relocate Apo mechanics who had been operating on the right of way.
“We have set up a technical committee to go into Wasa and Apo to enumerate who and who we are relocating. This is what we have done today, at the end of that, we will be able to give an accurate time when we are going to relocate them.
“I have handed over some of the things they need, most of these people are still coming even as of now. When you think you have finished, others are coming they have over 30,000 people and we have to be sure that this number they are brandishing are actually existing. We have to verify, open a database to make sure that everybody we are allocating is actually on the road corridor.
“We are not doing this as a bazaar, those who have lost hope, who do not have anywhere to trade at the road corridor, right of way, we are now relocating them to a permanent place, removed from the road corridor.
“It is the hope that was lost that Mr President through the minister has restored. I am assuring you that it will not take more than three months for all these things to be done. It has to do with technical, engineering, allocation and resettlement so it is not a day’s work. We have to build a prototype that other people can also follow up. It is not an easy thing.
“We want to make sure that Abuja wears its status as the capital of Nigeria and so the minister gave an approval that those occupying the right of way should leave so that construction can start in that area.”
According to Obuah, the committee is to conduct enumeration of eligible auto mechanic-technicians/dealers for possible relocation to Wasa; immediate preparation of the relocation site; expeditious handling of compensation matters; establishment of demarcations/boundaries of the site; identify areas of integration where necessary and review of the layout.
Chairman of the committee, Malam Abubakar Makama said the issue has been lingering for over 25 years without any solution and thanked the coordinator for swinging into action within just three months in office.
