· Abuja blames housing authority of corruption
· To charge officials for manslaughter
· To review ceded mandate
The Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, is considering reviewing its decision to cede parts of its mandate of granting development permit and control to the Federal Housing Authority, FHA, accusing it of negligence in the recent building collapse in Gwarinpa.
This is coming days after the collapse of a two-storied building in Gwarinpa. The commercial complex which was under construction, came down around 11 am, Thursday, trapping 50 workers with three confirmed dead.
The FCTA accused the housing authority of failing to monitor and ensure strict compliance to the Abuja Master Plan as provided by the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, Act.
FCT minister, Muhammad Musa Bello, through the coordinator of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, Umar Shuaibu, told journalists over the weekend, that preliminary investigation on the incident suggests that there were breaches in the location, the building plan approval, the control and the monitoring of the development by the FHA.
Shuaibu, while recounting other collapse incidences recorded in Gwarinpa Estate, said the administration is deeply worried over the incessant collapse of buildings being developed and handled by the FHA in Gwarinpa Estate, adding that the latest incident suggests there were flagrant violations in the development guidelines of the Wupa and Bunkoro District as developed and controlled by the FHA.
The coordinator, who insisted that the FHA has shown glaring incapacity for the development of the districts allocated to them, noted that among the statutory responsibilities of the FCTA is the development of the Federal Capital City and territory, in line with the Abuja Master Plan.
“Accordingly, the entire Gwarinpa Estate, occupying the Gwarinpa II, Wupa and Bunkoro Districts of the Phase III of the City development, was allocated to the Federal Housing Authority by the FCT Administration to provide essentially houses and attendant services to the citizens. They are to develop, control and monitor, to ensure strict compliance with the Abuja Master Plan, using the land use plan as provided by the Federal Capital Development Authority as a guide. However, this incident is suggesting that there are flagrant violations in the development guidelines of the Wupa and Bunkoro District as developed and controlled by the FHA.
“Our preliminary findings suggests that there were breaches in the location, the building plan approval, the control and the monitoring of the development by the FHA, with glaring criminal tendencies by the developer, and or his representative during the construction activities. Also revealed was the glaring incapacity of the FHA to handle development control in Abuja and shoulder the responsibility of sensitive operations of these nature in cases of emergencies.
“The Gwarinpa Estate is only a fraction of what constitute the entire Federal Capital City adequately managed by the FCT Administration, however, many of these unfortunate incidences were witnessed there in the past. Hence, the FCTA’s resolve to revisit that mandate ceded, in granting development permit and control to the FHA in the Gwarinpa Estate”, he stated.
He called for the immediate arrest of officials of the housing authority as well as the developer of the building, charging them with manslaughter.
The coordinator also ordered the immediate seal off of surrounding structures, pending the outcome of the integrity test being conducted by the AMMC and Development Control.
He assured that the FCTA would conduct a thorough investigation to unravel the causes of the incidence, and take appropriate step towards prevention of future occurrence.
In his words, “The minister of FCT Malam Muhammad Bello, has directed the security agencies to arrest the FHA officer in charge of granting the building development permit, the FHA officer saddled with monitoring the development, developer and the engineer supervising the development for the developer.
“All the surrounding developments identified by the AMMC and Development Control around the neighbourhood, that require investigation of their structural integrity, were henceforth sealed and declared out of bound by anybody, pending the outcome of integrity test presently being conducted”.
