JUST IN: FCTA Pulls Down Dokpesi’s AIT Buildings

Authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja are currently demolishing some structures within the premises of Daar Communications Plc, Abuja (owners of AIT and Ray power television and radio stations).

The demolition exercise which is still ongoing as at the time of filing this report is beaming live on AIT, Abuja.

According to officials of the station, there was no official communication whatsoever to notify them of the demolition: “At as this morning, solid edifices where standing here. But to our surprise and without prior notification, bulldozers on authority of the FCTA stormed our station unannounced this morning pulling down these structures. This is not the first time that a demolition exercise will be carried out within the premises of this station. A similar demolition happened in 2011,” the official said.

However, findings by TheNewsGuru revealed that both the FCT Administration and the Daar Communications management have been having a long running battle over the location and allocation of the station in Abuja. 

It would be recalled that the two warring parties had on November 2018 resolved to tow the path of peaceful resolution of issues surrounding a portion of land occupied by the station.

TNG learnt that during the November 2018 reconciliatory meeting, the duo had mutually agreed to reach an out-of-court settlement that would bring about permanent solution and forge ahead with the development of the FCT and the nation.

During the meeting, the Chief of Staff to the FCT Minister, Bashir Mai-Borno, who led the FCTA team, harped on the necessity for not complicating simple issues, while assuring that the current administration would solve the matter amicably, satisfying all the parties involved.

Mai-Borno said while pointing to the problem areas on a satellite image map, exhibited an in-depth knowledge of the situation, and effectively explained the knotty issues about the landed property to High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, owner of DAAR Group and his team.

He, however, directed an immediate on-the-spot investigation of the area and appealed for calm, promising that the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, would finally resolve the matter in a manner that all parties would be happy.

He added that the physical visit was necessary to determine the true position if claims and counter- claims by all parties, including complaints lodged by allottees that their plots had been subsumed by AIT, and that they do not have access to their land.