Caramelo Lounge Demolition Rendered 150 Jobless, Equipment Worth N500m Destroyed… MD

The Managing Director of Caramelo night club in Abuja, Maxwell Eze, has lamented that the notice given to management by the Federal Capital Territory Development Authority (FCDA) through its Department of Development Control (DDC) was supposed to be a 21-day notice but ended up to 48 hours.

 

According to him, management of the club were not given enough time to remove any valuables before the demolition.

 

He added that equipment worth over N500 million had been lost in the demolition which has rendered a direct staff strength of 105 unemployed.

 

Recall that the federal government through FCDA, had on Monday demolished the controversial Caramelo Lounge, a popular strip club, located at No 630, TOS Benson Crescent, Utako District Abuja, for allegedly contravening the FCT land use regulations.

 

The FCDA authorities also revoked the Certificate-of-Occupancy (C-of-O) issued on the property.

 

The authorities were said to have given a notice before the demolition took place.

 

Meanwhile the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello said due process was followed in the demolition of the controversial note club.

 

Mohammed who was responding to a question on why the building was not confiscated rather than demolished, said the action taken was as a last resort following a breach by the original owner.

 

He added that the land also has been forfeited to the government.

 

The minister told journalists that government action was not meant to deprive anyone from possessing assets in the FCT as it is for every one, the government he however said is determined that the master plan is not violated.

 

He stressed that the master plan makes provisions for all activities including night clubs, saying that it does not allow a person to convert a building meant for a clinic into a night club.

 

He said, “I’m quite interested also with the way I see the feedback from the wider community.

 

”I have had cause to discuss with many of your colleagues where many people felt that this minister has not been demolishing.

 

”As a matter of fact `he is not demolishing so he is not working’ – it is due process, my brother.

 

“If you check the record you will be surprised how long it took to reach that painful decision of having to demolish that (property).

 

“As a matter of fact that all the regulations were there – that property is no longer owned, it has been reverted to government because it is very clear, check any C-of-O, you will see the conditions.

 

“If there is a flagrant abuse and there are no efforts to correct that abuse, it reverts back to government.

 

“But I want you to be rest assured that for every demolition you see maybe a hundred were saved.”

 

He therefore urged Nigerians to ”go that extra mile and follow the law.”