(Video) FCTA demolishes Shopping complex, shopowners record losses
The Federal Capital Territory Administration demolished the UTC Shopping Complex located at Area 10, in the Garki area of Abuja. this morning June 3, According to shopowners, the Joint Task Force of the FCTA stormed the area in the early hours of today and barred them from evacuating valuable items from their shops before the demolition began.
The shopowners claim the government failed to give them a notice before the demolition. They however mentioned that the authorities had given them instructions to move to another complex provided.
In reaction, the FCTA said the complex had to be demolished to give way for the needed rebounding of the place.
The Deputy Director, Monitoring and Inspection, Department of Development, Hassan Ogbole, said the demolition of the complex was to restructure it into a befitting shopping centre required to grow SMEs to address global business needs and challenges.
Ogbole noted that the structures had become defective and there was need to upgrade it to the standard that would meet global business standards.
He said provision had been made for the traders and other occupants of the complex to enable the reconstruction of the place.
He regretted that although adequate notices were given to the occupants of the place to enable them evacuate and allow the construction to start, many of them refused to vacate, while some deliberately refused to move out.
