When the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) commenced the enforcement of the FCT Park Policy on July 4, 2022, it came as a shock to park operators and patrons, who did not expect the administration to make their threats to force a closure of parks from 7 pm daily.
Many people were quick to condemn the administration for the action, because they believe it was trying to deny them their constitutional rights of freedom of association and expression, by enforcing a policy that they described as anti-people.
Some operators lamented that since the commencement of the policy, they have not had peace of mind. They do not know when the task force would invade their gardens to shut it down.
A beer parlour operator in one of the parks in Kubwa village, Ms. Anthonia Ogidan, said that although the enforcement of the policy has not gotten to their garden, they expect the task force to storm their garden someday for enforcement.
“The policy is not good for our economy at all at this time when things are very challenging. It is wrong for the government to force parks to close as early as 7 pm. That means they want to make the city boring for its residents and visitors,” she said.
A patron of Parks and Recreation Centres, Mr Larry Richard Oribhabor, faulted the park policy, saying that the government cannot deprive residents who enjoy going to parks to relax, no matter the time of the day from expressing their constitutional rights as adults.
“Most people go to parks to relieve themselves of stress after a long day of work. Most times, they do it to control their blood pressure, after so many things that disturb their minds. So, if the minister is hell bent on enforcing the law, that means he wants many young and old men to die of hypertension.
“If this law is binding on the young ones that are at 20 years and below, I would have supported it. It’s not for you to say that old adults who want to relieve their stress should close from work and go home to face another stress. The minister should review the policy and extend the time to 11 pm,” he said.
The senior special assistant on Monitoring, Inspection, and Enforcement to FCT Minister, Comrade Ikharo Attah, explained that enforcing the policy was not meant to kill anybody’s businesses, but to instill a sense of sanity in the parks and recreation sector.
Attah lamented that the good intentions of the administration in allocating parks and gardens have been abused, appealing to operators and patrons of parks to understand and comply with the policy during the implementation.
“Everyone is concerned about park operators, we want them to make money, but we still need orderliness. Parks are not lounges, nightclubs, and hotels. They have specific guidelines on how they should operate. I think with time, everyone will begin to adjust,” he said.
