By Emmanuel OGBECHE
The Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, has explained why it demolished a mansion belonging to Prince Joseph Egbri popularly known as Kpokpogiri, in the upscale Guzape area of Abuja.
Speaking to our correspondent at the site of the demolition, the director, Department of Development Control, Muktar Galadima, said the mansion had no building plan, therefore, was unapproved, and was done in the interest of overriding public interest.
According to Galadima, the mansion was an obstruction to a major road network, connecting the popular Apo bridge to many parts of the city.
He acknowledged that the area was duly allocated to the Federal Housing Authority, FHA, to carry out its mass housing programme, but clarified that when the road network of the district was officially realigned, FHA was promptly notified that some plots of lands within its area had been affected.
Galadima added that FHA was ordered not to allow any further development on the affected plots, as replacement plots will be given to them.
Speaking also, the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority, Engr. Shehu Hadi, said that the road alignment had been done long ago and FHA was duly notified.
Hadi noted that the road alignment which the demolished building obstructs, was designed to serve as an important bypass to Abuja-Keffi axis.
He added that any plan to realign the road because of the building would be difficult and not fair judgement to those that it would affect, considering that the demolished building was not in existence earlier when the plan started.
Furthermore, the Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection, and Entrustment, Attah Ikharo, said Kpopogiri took advantage of the Covid-19 lockdowns and distractions to hurriedly put up the building late 2020 to 2021.
Ikharo said, “he took advantage of the Covid-19 lockdowns and distractions to hurriedly put up the building. Besides, the house is on a super highway known as M-16. He doesn’t even have a building plan approval. It’s like somebody who knows that the highway is coming sold the land to him and he just went to build. We have been asking him to stop but he refused.”
He also stated that contrary to claims that the building had approval, it had none.
“In Abuja, before you build, you must get building plan approval. There was no approval at all for him. The place was initially allocated to somebody long ago. So I think the person now sold it to somebody who then sold it to him,” Ikharo said.
He added, “When he discovered that it was a road, He didn’t stop but kept rushing the building. The whole building was built in less than a year.
“The Federal Housing Authority Managing Director came here twice this week. The MD came the day before yesterday (Thursday) that they didn’t give him approval and the building was illegally constructed.
“The FCDA Executive Secretary also came, adding that it was illegally constructed. We came here twice this week asking him to vacate because of the super highway.”
In an interview with The Abuja Inquirer, the distraught looking Kpokpogiri who valued his mansion at over N700m, alleged that it was demolished because he refused to sell it to some “powerful individuals” who he did not name.
Pressed for the documents of the property, “there are with my lawyers,” he replied.
