FCTA Resumes Demolition Of Unapproved Structures

The Department of Development Control of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) is set to resume activities geared towards maintaining the FCT master plan by demolishing unapproved structures.

Mr Muktar Galadima, Head of Monitoring and Enforcement of the Department of Development Control, gave the indication when he spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Galadima said that the department had cut down on its activities in the past few months due to the general elections. He said that demolition of illegal structures and shanties took place in Gwagwalada, after the elections. “You will observe that the department has been inactive for some time due to the general actions, but we commenced work in Gwagwalada immediately after the elections. “Several shanties and illegal structures in Gwagwalada were removed in our operations last weekend, and we hope to move to Utako and Asokoro by this week,” he said.

Galadima advised residents to desist from erecting structures on plots that were not legally allotted to them. He also urged parties to always explore avenues for reconciliation to avoid demolition of structures. “There are various reasons for demolition of structures which mostly bother on legality.

“It is either the builder has encroached into somebody’s plot, or into the road corridor, while shanties and slums are demolished because they are not fit for habitation.

“In the case of Gwagwalada, we embarked on removal of shanties and illegal structures which have been investigated and established to be built on other people’s plots. “We prefer to settle disagreement among parties on land ownership by referring them to zonal land offices, but when they are not able to settle, we resort to demolition,’’ he said.

Mr Kalu Emetu, the department’s head of public relations, said that the development had been inactive for a couple of months as a result of the elections. Emetu said that the department was back to perform its mandate of maintaining the Abuja master plan. “We relaxed our activities as elections approached so that we are not perceived as having political motives. “Our men were, however, on the field performing other relevant functions during that period of seeming inactivity. “We have a time table of our activities in this regard, and after Gwagwalada, we will take enforcement activities to Utako and Asokoro in the coming weeks. “Now, we are back fully, and we call on developers to ensure that their drawings are duly approved before construction to avoid demolition,” he said.