FCTA to begin prosecution of those not using pedestrian crossing

The Federal Capital Territory Administration is to begin soon the prosecution of pedestrians, who are not using the pedestrian crossing.
Omolola Olanipekun, the Director, Abuja Environmental Protection Board, made this disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to Olanipekun, those people who cross the roads without using the pedestrian crossing risk their lives and this has become worrisome to the government.
She said: “I know that very soon, the government will take the right step, that is to enforce the laws, as the right measure for the safety of lives.
“It is of no use to try to cut corners because at the end of the day, you are risking your life.
“But I believe that the rightful department will soon come up with something to enforce it.
“You know everything depends on the power of the law.
“For now, it is not that the law does not capture it in the AEPB Act, but our concern is for the safety and security of the lives.”
On the artisans doing their businesses all over the city, Olanipekun said it was an unfortunate happening now in the city of Abuja that could be attributed to population explosion.
She said: “Population explosion and the in-flow of people into the city, ridicule a lot of critical environmental issues that need attention.
“You know these artisans have association or a body.
“Even if you allocate a place for them, you will continue to have them where they are, trying to disobey the laws.
“They will be seen in areas not designated for them.
“We will not relent in our efforts, we will continue to go after them till they relocate to the appropriate places.”
Olanipekun noted that AEPB and the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, had met to make the artisans understand and know the places marked out for them.
She said: “These places are meant for them to build their shops and do their business.
“We will move them to the designated places.
“We are doing all these so that the city is not defaced.”
Olanipekun pledged the board’s commitment under the administration to do everything humanly possible so as to bring sanity, cleanliness and order into the city.
According to her, whatever the board is doing is within the ambit of the laws that established it.
NAN.