In commemoration of the World Earth Day celebrated recently, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has urged residents of the territory against activities that lead to environmental degradation.
This call was made by the Coordinator of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Umar Shuaibu, at the commemoration of 2023 World Earth Day with the theme: “Invest in our planet” held on Thursday, May 4, 2023, in Abuja.
Shuaibu decried the unending distortion and destruction of the Abuja Master Plan by some residents of the nation’s capital.
According to him, the illegal felling of trees, building on water channels, and road corridors have distorted and destroyed the plan for the development of Abuja.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Tunde Imolehin, Senior Special Assistant on Environment and Waste Management to the Minister of FCT, said the objective of the commemoration of World Earth Day in FCT was to guide residents on how to dispose of their waste properly.
He said, “To make our stay in this planet meaningful, we must invest wisely. We must take proper care of the environment, conserve and preserve the limited resources. The world earth began in 1970 in the United States to highlight the importance of our planet and the conservation of its ecosystems on all continents and oceans.”
“Since then, the world’s attention has been drawn to the challenges facing mankind and the environment and ways to manage them.”
In his presentation, the Director, FCT Department of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, disclosed that over 10,000 illegal structures were demolished in the last eight years in the FCT and 300 hectares of land was recovered as the administration’s commitment to restore sanity in the territory.
Galadima said the measure was pertinent to reverse the norms affecting the officials from restoring the master plan and sanity across the city. He then called for the review of the development plan of the city, which according to him, a consultant should be engaged to drive the reforms.
