As part of efforts of ensuring the security of lives and property in the Federal Capital Territory, the FCT Administration, recently sealed off a 3-storey building in Maitama for constituting security threat to residents.
This followed a directive by the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, who personally led a team of FCTA and security officials to inspect the building which also has a basement parking area.
The building located at Plot 22 Cadastral zone, A05, Udi Hills Street, is said to have been left uncompleted for a long while with fears of possible collapse.
The minister, who was obviously displeased with the evidence of unwholesome activities discovered in the building, reiterated the administration’s commitment to ensuring the safety of all residents and said that steps will be taken to ensure that abandoned and uncompleted buildings within the city do not pose threats to residents.
Meanwhile, the coordinator of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, Tpl Umar Shuaibu, while carrying out the minister’s directive of sealing the building, said that integrity tests would be carried out on the structure and if it fails the test, its allocation wil be revoked and the building will be pulled down.
According to the him, “The building has been abandoned for a very long time, and presently, the FCT administration has a policy of taking actions on abandoned buildings in the city.
“We have security challenges. This structure is susceptible to be used by criminals. Also, by the time a building is left unused for a long time, it is subject to rot and weakening; and this could trigger collapse of the structure in the future.
“So, we definitely have to seal and if there is any necessity for us to allow work to continue, we must conduct integrity test and make sure it passes the test before we allow that. If it means for us to revoke it, we will do it because we have the power to do so. The building also constitutes a risk to those living around here.”
On his part, director, Department of Development Control, Muktar Galadima, explained that the administration in the past, met with owners of abandoned buildings in the territory and agreed that they would conduct intercity tests and complete them.
He, however, regretted that while others resumed work and completed, some did not, even as he disclosed there were measures to curb the issue of abandoned buildings in the FCT
