FCT Minister Mandates AEPB To Eject Hawkers From Bridges

The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has mandated the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and the FCT Task Team on Environment to as a matter of urgency stop hawkers from using pedestrian bridges for their activities in the Federal Capital Territory.
The Minister gave this directive when he paid an unscheduled visit to Pedestrian Bridge in Ludge, a village along the Airport Road today while warning that hawking and other activities are not acceptable on the Pedestrian bridges across the Territory and called for stern enforcement.
Bello maintained that such bridges were rected for easy movement and passage of residents crossing the highways and not meant for hawking, begging or for other nuisances hence the much needed ban of such activities on the brigde. While also calling on the AEPB and the Task Team to get rid of herdsmen still grazing in the Federal Capital City; noting, “you must find a way in dealing with that bizarre situation”.
The Minister however seized that opportunity to engage the crowd gathered around the pedestrian bridge on why people should not use such places as shopping malls. Stating that pedestrian bridges were also not constructed for miscreants and further warned that all activities must be very far away from the expressway ways.
“These expressways are the gateway into the Federal Capital City and the seat of power of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and therefore everything must be done to keep Abuja clean from all environmental nuisances in line with the vision of its founding fathers,” Malam Bello stressed.
The Director of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Olanipekun and the Chairman of the FCT Task Team on Environment, Squadron Leader Abdullahi Adamu Monjel, accompanied the Minister on the unscheduled visit.
Muhammad Hazat Sule, FCAI
Deputy Director/Chief Press Secretary
Friday, September 2, 2016.