FCTA announces plans to demolish illegal structures in Abuja

By Bisola Adeyemo

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Wednesday reiterated on demolishing illegal buildings in Abuja.

Acting director, FCTA Department of Development Control, Garba Kwamkur who made the vow during weekly inspection of ongoing developments across the territory, warned developers to desist from violating the Abuja Master Plan with all sorts of infractions.

Speaking specifically on some of the major development abuses, Kwamkur stated that stop-work notice was served on 11 companies on the construction of a filling station on the corridor of Bill Clinton Drive, which connects the Umaru Musa Yar ‘Adua Expressway to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

In the case of an Army estate under construction in Idu, he revealed that the Army moved into the land-based on an Area Council allocation and has taken up to 100 hectares of land, the Nation gathered.

Calling on the army to forward their permit for approval, he explained that the FCT Act of 1976 made it clear that all developers, private, institutional or governmental, must receive a permit from the Deplorable Development Control before embarking on any physical development within the city.

Kwamkur said: “But then, we have asked them to stop work because developments will require a detailed site development plan of the whole of that area because it is very varied.

“And a structured plan will have to be prepared and so that we know the delineation of each service that is to be provided to that piece of land. If not, the whole place will be destroyed completely beyond the vision of the Abuja master plan.”

The Acting Director, therefore, warned: “The city has a master plan and it must be followed to the latter,” even as he called on all developers in Abuja to comply right with all development laws and regulations or face necessary sanctions, including demolition and revocation.