By Laide Akinboade, Abuja 

The Federal Capital Territory Administration ( FCTA) on Monday, demolished a fully completed  multi-million naira duplex for building in an unapproved plot of land.

The building located at Plot 226 Cad Zone A02 Wuse 1, Wuse, Zone 6 District, was said to belong to Oba Oyebade Lipede, but was fraudulently taken over by Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed Kamba and Alhaji Ademu Teku, who illegally constructed the duplex against all warnings.

Director, Department of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima said his team had to carry out extensive investigation to ascertain the original owner of the plot, given varying claims that were being put forth by the parties.

According to him, the Administration will not consider the status of any defaulting developer, once development rules and regulations are violated.

” We demolished the duplex because somebody built without valid title and building plan approval on someone else land. Investigation revealed that the developer is not the owner of plot, that is why we had to remove the building. 

“We allowed the building to this stage before demolishing it, because we had to follow all the processes. He was served all the notices to stop work, but being a recalcitrant developer, he continued without heeding to the notices we served.

“After our investigation we ascertained the original allottee, so we have to remove it. We are going to consult the legal department to know the next action against the developer” he said.

Wike Assures  Abandoned Project Contractors of Funding   

Worried by the number of abandoned projects in Abuja, the  Federal Capital Territory Administration(FCTA), on Monday said it was currently mapping out strategies for effective funding of projects in the  territory.

The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, who stated this  at a meeting with contractors,  said there was need to diversify funding options beyond the national budget so as to check the rate of abandoned projects in the territory.

Wike, while lamenting the pace of abandoned projects across the territory, insisted that there was no excuse for littering the space with uncompleted projects.

The minister, pledged to mobilise contractors handling short term projects back to site and  noted that diversifying funding sources was a strategy the administration would be adopting to avoid owing contractors, a situation which resulted to some abandoned projects.

“A lot of  residents have complained about abandonment of projects in terms of road infrastructure, and road network is one basic thing that makes the city.

“We are handling the issue of sanitation, street light, shanties and the rest of them, but roads are very key. So we are trying to see how we can map out strategies for structure of funding, so that we will not have problems of completing projects.

“So we are determined, seriously, to make sure that every contractor goes back to sites. Not just going back to sites, but with direct supervision from my office and that of the Minister of state.”

The minister also disclosed that some of the key projects to receive immediate intervention include the Abuja Metro Line as well as the resurfacing of road networks in Garki 1, Wuse 1 and some parts of Maitama.

He said the FCTA has specific orders to ensure prompt completion of the rail project as, “Mr President said he wants to ride on the Metroline so that is a key project that must be completed.”

The minister who pointed that the lack of supervision has been a bane to achieving infrastructure development, warned that the administration under his leadership would not compromise on standards.

“If there are people you have been working with, who have been compromising standard, too bad, it is not with me. I’m not going to accept anything that is below standard.

“We are going to restructure how we are going to fund you (contractors), and you will go back to site, and do work. I don’t want to hear oh, this happen or this didn’t happen. 

“I have agreed with the Hon. Minister of State, and we have told the management that we must restructure the way projects are funded. We must not fund projects depending only on the national budget, as we must also fund projects through our internally generated revenue.

“It would not be palatable with everybody as we want to achieve results. I will not be a party to give out contracts, and then there will be no money to fund. We prefer if I give out only three contracts, let it, be he said.”