There were times in the history of Abuja that some senior Town Planners in the service of the FCDA who were allegedly accused of desecrations of the City land use plan were severed from the service. Also there were times that some who were upright in upholding the provisions of the City Development plan and their professional ethics, but also got fired. Depending on the disposition of the heads of the FCT Administration at particular periods, rights can be wrong and wrongs can be right. And the professional officers managing the system become the victims for upholding the right tenets or got punished for the wrong deeds.
Professional ethics are moral principles, values, and standards that guide behavior in a specific profession. These guidelines ensure professionals act with integrity, honesty, and accountability toward clients, colleagues, and the public. Professional ethics address the specific challenges and responsibilities of a particular occupation, often formalized in a code of conduct.
Because of its role in the general planning of Land uses, ensuring better arrangement for people’s need to be met, while preserving their future resources, the Town Planning profession requires much and strict adherence to professional ethics. The decay of professional ethics from Town Planners would have devastating effect on the survival of plans and by extension the entire community.
Late Tpl. Sabo Ago was the pioneer Director of Lands Planning and Survey in the FCDA. He later became National President of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners. The director refused to process the Minister’s file for the initial plot allocation on the Maitama Hill, otherwise referred to as Minister’s Hill, due to its nonconformity with the provision of the Abuja Master Plan. Essentially, the area is designated green, according to the City land use plan. He advised the Minister to follow the proper channel before the implementation of the changes. The reward he got from his Minister, for strict adherence to the Plan, was removal from his office.
The Wuse Zone 5 Neighbourhood Park is along the Accra Street in Wuse. Without the knowledge of the underground cadastral plan that has the information of the subsurface underground infrastructure, anybody could mistook the area to be a landscaped recreational park only. However, none of such excuses could be tenable from any Town Planner in the FCDA.
In the past some senior Town Planners were accused for the creation of residential and commercial plots of land on the Park along the Accra Street. The violations of that land use as green area was then termed as massive abuse of official responsibility. All the allocations were revoked and all the buildings erected on the land were later demolished and cleared by the successive administration to recreate the park. The planners may not be the beneficiaries of the allocations but their actions were considered as abuse of official responsibilities and earned them terminations of service.
In contrast with the interest of the prevailing Administration, the reverse is the case. Compliance with professional ethics, land use regulations and official procedure are no longer needed, and adherence to the decent order is the one rewarded with removal. Uprightness, morality, ethics, professionalism and obedience to the standards, rule and regulations of Abuja development guidelines are considered affront to the Authority.
Prominent among the comments we receive from our readers were the questions wondering on the functions of professionals in the FCT Administration. One was from my respected lecturer at ABU, Professor J B Kaltho. He asked, “Are the conversions and redesign of green areas not carried out/approved by planners? If so, does it not mean that the violations are by planners?”
The fact is many of the professionals in the system are not assertive enough to refute the violations because they are witnesses to the consequences to those who resisted. Therefore, they capitulated due to the fear of the intimidation. However, there were exceptional personalities who refused to succumb and were removed as Directors in the history of the FCT Administration, but never got abandoned by the Almighty. Because, they were later rewarded by elevations to higher positions.
After his removal as a Director in the FCDA, Late Tpl. Sabo Ago, besides being the National President of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, held positions of Resident Electoral Commissioner in two States before his final retirement from service and ultimately his final date on Earth. Late Engr. Abdulkadir A. Kure was also another victim of highhandedness by the Minister of his time. He was removed as the FCDA Director of Engineering, but subsequently became the Niger State Governor before his demise.
It is unethical for us to blow our trumpets. But there are many of these type of cases, in which without their sacrifices, Abuja City would never be as beautiful as it is today.
The prevailing shining examples of resilience and excellence in service were the immediate past Director of the Urban and Regional Planning Department, Tpl. Yahaya Abubakar, and the immediate past Executive Secretary of the FCDA Engr. Shehu Hadi Ahmad, who were removed by the Wike Administration for their obedience to professional ethics and extant rules and procedures in service, not minding the threats to intimidations.
As usual, they will never be forgotten by the Almighty. A better chapter will surely open for them. Those still in the system that are afraid of the intimidations must take note.
