FCTA removes structures contravening FCT Land Use Act in Gwarinpa

ABUJA – The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) is planning to remove all structures contravening FCT land use Act in Grarinpa as the only option left to maintaining the sanctity of the Abuja master plan.

The FCTA through its Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) had since commenced site inspection and marking of all contravening structures in Gwarinpa.

Structures marked for immediate removal include; worship centres, housing estates, office buildings and shanties in the area. The AMMC Coordinator, Umar Shuiabu said the Council is mandated to ensure that people develop Abuja, according to the rules and regulations the Gwarinpa Housing Estate is not in isolation with the entire city plan.

He, however, vowed that the Council will not spare people that are developing on service lane, floodplains and drainage channels in the estate, built and managed by Federal Housing Authority (FHA).

According to him, “There is contravention, a complete violation of the Abuja Master Plan, and that is why we are synergising with the FHA to make sure that we develop Abuja according to the laid down rules and regulation.

“We have just started marking; we are going to meet at the end when we are going to bring out an action plan. Definitely, where there are contraventions that require removal, we are going to remove all the structures contravening the land use Act.

“We are not going to spare people that are developing on service lane, floodplains and drainage channels. These are important facilities, and by the time you temper with them, you are tampering with the lives of the people, we will not condone all these abuses,” the Coordinator stressed.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director, FHA, Prof. Mohammed Al-Amin, noted that over the years, there have been a lot of fragrant abuses of provisions in Gwarinpa, which must stop.

According to him, waterways and floodable areas have also been identified, and the FHA, AMMC and other agencies are working together to ensure the housing estate is restored to the design that it had.

“We mark, but we have to follow all the procedures to the later before we can enforce. We have to inform the contraveners, give them time to revert but before then, you have to make provisions for that.

“Enforcement must come after certain activities have taken place in files and meeting, but it is now that the action is about to start,” he said.

He added that “The Minister of the FCT, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello is concerned and he is insisting that everything must be done in line with the designs and specifications in accordance the Abuja Master Plan”.

Credit: Independent