Insecurity: FCTA restricts POS operators to commercial areas

Umar said the indiscriminate activities of the operators were becoming a threat to security, and would no longer be tolerated.

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The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Wednesday in Abuja directed Point of Sales (POS) operators to restrict their operations to only commercial areas in the nation’s capital.

The Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Umar Shuaibu, issued the directive at a news briefing.

He said the administration would not allow POS operators to illegally take over sensitive areas that were not designated for commercial purposes.

Umar said the indiscriminate activities of the operators were becoming a threat to security, and would no longer be tolerated.

Shuaibu said that Abuja Master Plan was systemically structured to have the neighbourhood concept that will bring all services closer to the people.

” We have neighborhood centres and city centres, all of these centres have commercial areas, so whatever someone needs within the neighbourhood provided is available,” he said.

Umar added that there was no need to take over the streets, adding,” that was how the master plan was designed.

“Financial services are brought closer to the people because of the CBN cashless policy that is why we have PoS operators, let there be sanity.

“However, there are challenges, the point of sales operators do not operate in the areas that they were supposed to operate, according to the provision of the master plan.

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“We have commercial centres, plazas, markets, super markets and filling stations, these are areas for commercial activities.

“So, the PoS operators have to liaise with owners of these property for their services, this is in line with international best practices.

“Henceforth, all PoS operators must relocate to commercial areas and liaise with the premises’ owners, where their services are needed. This will help check mate insecurity,” he added.

Umar said that the minister of FCT, Alhaji Musa Bello had thdirectef that ensure that all illegal PoS operators should relocate to the appropriate areas.

Collaborating, Mr Ihkaro Attah, the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the FCT Minister, said the administration was fully in support of the POS activities.

He said they were fully in support of the CBN cashless policy but they were concerned with the security measures.

Attah said that FCT minister particularly frowned at those who unlawfully sited their POS outlets in areas that could jeopardise security.

He said that while the  enforcement team would not be concerned with operators who limit their activities within commercial places, those who constituted nuisance and a security threat would be removed.

According to him, the minister was not opposed to POS business, but kicked against indiscriminate operations that adversely affected  the security of the residents.

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Attah said: ”There are complaints by the residents that strange people were indiscriminately operating POS within their gates and streets

” We support POS business, but frown at those operations that threaten security of our people.”