By Sarah Negedu
The FCT Administration has vowed to come down heavily against estate developers who contravene the land use act, warning that only those with genuine land and approved building plans will be allowed to do business in the territory.
In this light, the administration, last week, pulled down several duplexes at their various stages of completion within two estates in Lugbe District of the Federal Capital City.
The FCTA officials accompanied by joint security agencies stormed and cleared some contravening structures situated inside Seman Metropolis Estate behind Dunamis River plate Estate, and Palms Residences opposite ShopRite Pyagasa junction, all in Lugbe.
Explaining the exercise, the Senior Special Assistant on Inspection, Monitoring and Enforcement to the FCT Minister, Comrade Ikharo Attah, said the exercise was part of the FCT enforcement component, aimed at curtailing contraventions against land use act in the nation’s capital city.
Attah, who attributed the distortions of the Abuja master plan on the excess of estate developers, warned them to desist from such, as the administration will ensure massive monitoring and enforcement against violations in the FCT.
“What the minister asked us to do is to engage and re-engage stakeholders to do the right thing, while still standing that we cannot allow illegality in the FCC.
“We will be doing more inspection, monitoring while also stabilising and ensuring that we enforce very strongly.
“All developers must ensure that genuine land and approved plan before commencing development.
“You must also not exceed your boundary, because we see boundary extensions. So developers who contravene we will be coming very tough against them, and that is the mandate of the Minister.
Similarly, Acting Director, Development Control Department of the FCT, Garba Kwamkur, said the estate developers had no approval for the structures.
He recalled that developers of Seman Estate had mobilised thugs to assault officials of the department when they tried to enforce compliance of the building plans approved for the area.
One of the affected developer, Steven Maxwell, of Seaman Global Project Ltd, who described the demolition exercise as shocking, admitted that the process for obtaining approvals for the structures was still ongoing.
He disclosed that each of the demolished duplexes upon completion is estimated to cost a minimum of N25 million.
Comrade Attah had earlier stressed that he will not hesitate to bring down any illegal structures defacing in the nation’s capital city in the interest of the general public.
Attah, who made the commitment during an interview with journalists during the inauguration of political appointees, appealed to residents to always build in accordance to the urban and regional planning specifications to avoid contravening the Abuja master plan.
