MINISTER of State for the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Senator John James Akpanudoedehe announced yesterday that the movement of affected villages to the Apo Resettlement Site would commence by the end of next month, just as he warned illegal occupants of the Site to immediately vacate the houses or face prosecution if they vandalize any of the houses.

"It will be in their interest to vacate the houses forthwith because the FCT Administration has invested billions of naira to put up those houses. At the next FCT Executive Committee meeting, I will raise the issue so we can send law enforcement agents to remove any one illegally occupying the houses", he warned.

Speaking on Monday after an unscheduled tour of the Apo Resettlement Centre, Senator Akpanudoedehe who noted that work was progressing as planned, however commended some of the contractors for sticking to deadlines despite financial challenges.

The affected villages are Garki, Apo and Akpanjianyi. The Minister who expressed dissatisfaction at the slow pace of work by other contractors, promised continued funding for timely completion of the infrastructure at the site.

Adding,"this is an unscheduled visit to see for ourselves what the Department of Resettlement and Compensation has told us at our weekly Operational Meetings. As you can attest, there is visible progress in the area of roads, water and electrical works.

"More roads have been opened, even if they have not been asphalted; High-Tension cables are in place and the poles you see all over the place is for house-to-house connection. As soon as this is done, movement will commence because we already have a water point for the Resettlement Site pending when the FCT Water Board connects the entire town".

Speaking further on the November 2008 deadline, Senator Akpanudoedehe said construction of resettlement houses (a total of 877 Resettlement houses at the Apo Resettlement Site) has reached 90 percent completion while harmonization of the list of those to be resettled at the Site has been concluded.

According to him, "Harmonization of the list of resettlers that would move to the site has been concluded and temporary letters of allocation will be issued.

The final phase of works for the provision of water and electricity to the Site in order for movement to commence has started, and as some of you know, earth roads have been provided on the site with the procurement exercise for the tarring of the roads expected to come before the end of the year."