AMMC vows to revoke licenses, prosecute abusers of recreational parks

Frowned at the introduction of all sort of illegal activities around parks and gardens in the nation’s capital, the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) has said that it would no longer tolerate the flagrant abuse of Park Usage by its operators.

Addressing journalists during a tour on some parks in FCT, the Director of Administration and Finance, who currently oversees the activities of AMMC, Mallam Suleiman Abdurameed, revealed that the council is ready to take stiff measures against defaulters to serve as deterrent to others.

While noting that the council will no longer treat defaulters with kid gloves, he disclosed that any park operator who fails to comply with the land use will not only risk losing his allocation but will also be prosecuted.

“This time around, the Council through its relevant departments will not only stop and remove operators of illegal activities within designated Parks and Gardens, but prosecute them to serve as deterrent to others.

“For instance, this place is supposed to be a garden, the other part there is supposed to be a residential area. They have converted it to entertainment spot.

“You can see loudspeakers everywhere, booming loudspeakers and there is always music in the night depriving the residents in this area from having a good night rest and so on. So, the minister has directed that FCT Administration will not condone this type of misbehaviors any longer.

“They had notices before that they should revert to original land use. We are just coming round now, taking the final stock of what is happening here, we are definitely not going to allow this to happen.

“As you have seen around here, this are all illegal structures and it is not in conformity with the original land use Act. This place has been marked and demolished twice but they still came back.

“The best option now, is that as we are removing this structures, we recommend for withdrawal. Because we gave the allocation and since you are not building in line with what we approved for you, we’ll withdraw the license. We are ready for it.” Said Abdurameed

Daily Times reports that during the enforcement exercise led by Abdurameed parks such as Unique World Garden located at Wuse zone 5, Peka Park and Surich Park both in Wuse zone 3 and Millennium Park in Maitama were visited and abatement and in some cases Quit notices were served on erring operators.