The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike has vowed to end open grazing in Abuja, saying such can longer be tolerated.
Wike, during a press after his swearing-in said “We will consult with the herdsmen to see how we will stop [open grazing] because we can not allow cows inside the city,”.
“They can be outside the city because the grasses are outside the city. The grasses in the city were planted to beautify the city. It is not that one that they would eat.
“So, we will discuss. It is important. Let us say it, you are trying inside the [Presidential] Villa for example, and you see about 20,000 to 40,000 goats, if foreigners see that, how would they feel?”
Asides from that, Wike also threaten to demolish structures not built according to the city’s master plan.
“All those people who are distorting the master plan of Abuja, too bad. If you know you have built where you’re not supposed to build, it will go down,” Wike added.
He also cautioned landowners who had taken over “the green areas” to build properties, saying those areas must return
Wike equally promised to deal with street trading, maintaining that it bred insecurity.
“In a city, people are selling with umbrellas under the trees. These things caused insecurity. We can not allow it.”
