Residents of ECOWAS Estate, Katampe Extension, Abuja, have insisted that they have no option but to block the access road passing through their estate to other estates in line with the advice of the FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello.
The chairman of the estate association, Dr Austin Maho, said the decision was a result of the insecurity, theft and nuisance the residents of the estate face daily.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja, the chairman of the association noted that in August 2021, after a series of petitions over illegal land allocations within the estate and the creation of an access road through the estate to other estates outside the perimeter of ECOWAS estate, the minister undertook a working visit to the estate and saw things for himself.
“He was able to establish that illegal allocations of land on green areas, children’s playground and walkways were made within the estate, and gave orders for their suspension.
“He also saw the illegal access leading through the estate to other estates. The minister said if a 55-hectare estate exists without a proper access road, it means it is an illegal estate.
“He said we should dig a trench to block access through our estate. We could have acted immediately but some of the management committee members felt this would be unfair. So, what we did was to serve them notice and place a couple of banners in the two entrances to alert the developers of the impending action. We gave them three months,” the chairman said.
Dr Maho said only the few treated the notices with levity. “One of them even questioned the authority of the minister to give such a directive, saying it was just a political statement and if he meant it, he should have gone ahead to have it gazette,” he said.
Speaking further, he said the minister came with all his directors including those of development control, land administration and AGIS.
ECOWAS estate was designed as a diplomatic estate; most of the residents are diplomats.
Articulated vehicles and heavy duty trucks plying our internal road have not only destroyed the road but residents are daily subjected to noise, dust and the danger posed by these vehicles.
