Why demolition of illegal structures in Abuja will continue, says FCT minister

The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration, Muhammad Bello, has said demolition of illegal structures that fail to comply with the Abuja master plan will continue.

He admonished that prospective buyers of property should carry out proper due diligence before buying any property while decrying the attitude of some investors who build on the fringes of the city without permission.

The minister disclosed this at the commissioning of an office complex of the Abuja Property Development Company (APDC) in Abuja, noting that all estates should have provisions for play areas, community centres, shopping facilities, places for worship and also, in some areas, depending on the size, provisions for places for educational activities.

According to him, flooding is rampant in many areas in the FCT is simply because the plan that was meant to be followed was not followed, adding that, over the years, institutional capacity to be able to enforce, may have been reduced.

“All these are going to change, because every person’s life is sacrosanct, and the whole idea of living in an estate is to live in a community that is safe, serene, beautiful and peaceful so that people can raise their family and children in an environment that makes them very productive as a people.

“But we cannot just create estates where every square inch is dedicated to buildings. That’s why our enforcement activities will be enhanced. I am just saying this to let the public know and as they say, shine your eyes,” he said.

He, however, urged property owners with on genuinely allocated land and correct papers that their property will not be touched.

“I want to use this opportunity to tell genuine investors that nobody’s property will be touched if it’s on a genuinely allocated land that has the correct papers.

“Nobody’s property will be touched if it was built based on Development Control approval, or based on all the requirements by law that a person needs.

“Whoever builds, and no matter how highly placed, and no matter how expensive that building is, it will go down,” the minister said.

He said where for any reason, an investor arranged with thugs and they beat the FCDA staff, the authority would charge them on criminal procedures.

“We want to develop the city, but the city has to be developed in an organized manner, just like it is done in all other parts of the world.

“We are working very closely with REDAN and the National Assembly and a number of properties have been identified.“We are also working closely with the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) because many of that property are bought based on ill-gotten monies and they use them as means of laundering illegally acquired wealth. All these will no longer be accepted,” the minister said.