RESIDENTS of an estate located in Garki Abuja, has rejected the proposed plan by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to convert its clinic situated in the estate into a centre for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
The residents also kicked against the plan to deny them the use of the entrance gate by fencing off the rest of the estate thereby forcing them to use the rear emergency gate.
The residents consequently petitioned the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the management development control of FCT to stop the CBN from carrying out its proposed plan
They argued that CBN is not the sole owner of the I and J Estate by virtue of the sale of the Estate to occupiers in 2006 in line with the approved guidelines issued by the Federal Goventment in respect of the sale of Federal Government houses in the FCT.
According to the seperate petitions jointly signed by S. Owolabi, chairman of the Residents’ Association and Ajamaji  A. B. Gen Secretary and sighted by Global Sentinel on Wednesday, the residents posit that the interest of the CBN clinic which is just two building cannot override the interest of the 220 occupiers.
“On the strength of the reasons hereby advanced sir. We respectfully wish to urge the management of NCDC, the CBN, Development Control of FCT to advise the Bank to maintain the status quo as to have had continuous peaceful co-existence since 2006 not to talk of now that a beautiful and standard Clinic has been completed for the well-being of the staff and their families.
“Representatives of the Residents’ Association have met with the Directors of the following Departments: Medical Services, PSS&D, Corporate Services and Security Services on this matter but we could not reach a resolution.
“We are a peace-loving Nigerians and we are generally interested in a crisis-free environment. We did not anticipate the present confrontation from CBN management team when we agreed to purchase the property in 2006. I sasure, we remain your law abiding citizens”, the petition read in part. (Realnews)