By Laide Akinboade, Abuja 

Worried by manage of land grappers and indiscriminate development of structures in satellite towns, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, on Tuesday, said it has concluded arrangements in the processing and granting of building approval to already developed Satellite towns.

The exercise requires that structures which were hitherto built without approval from the authorities will be spared and granted approval if they conform with approved engineering designs while those that do not comform will be removed.

The Director, Department of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima stated this in Dawaki where he flagged-off the recommencement of processing and granting of building approval in Abuja Satellite towns.

Galadima stated that owners of property in satellite towns are expected to within 21 days submit the requisite information for necessary action.

He noted that there is new policy in the FCT looking at the new administration direction which requires them to do whatever they can do to put things in order.

He appealed to residents to give FCTA officials maximum cooperation, because the exercise is for the benefits of all.

He recalled that because of lack of engineering design in these satellite towns, were asked not to grant approvals to some of them. But, some like Dawaki, where the exercise kicked off is now to have engineering design. 

He said: “What is taking place is a post development audit of Satellite Towns. You know because of lack of engineering design in these satellite towns, were asked not to grant approvals to some of them. But, some like Dawaki where we are starting now to have engineering design. 

“There are over 15 towns, and when you look at such towns like Gwagwalada, Kuje, Karshi, Bwari, Abaji etc, but we want to cover all the Satellite towns. So, we are commencing the post development audit, so that those that built without approvals, we can now assess them, and grant them such approvals.” 

Explaining the modality for the exercise, the Director said: ” we have drafted a format where we are going to divide these settlements into clusters, and the officers have been distributed into the clusters, as they will go out and share the format and explain it to the owners of the built property, letting them know the essence of the exercise.

“Within 21 days, we are expecting the owners of property to submit the requisite information that are expected of them for necessary action.

“It is in line with the extant laws, because in FCT, you cannot build without approval, so if you have built without approval, the best way to go to furnish us with necessary information within the stipulated time. If it is something that can be done, we can approve it as built but if it is something that we cannot approve, we will say it cant be condoned, hence we have to remove it.  

“As a city, we need to have a data base for the development taking place in terms of services to be rendered and some many perimeter, and even for researches on the process of developing a new capital city.

“Also, at the end of the day it is going to boost our Internally Generated Revenue (OGR) profile , those people that are going to pay us approval fees. We have improved on our system approval granting process.

In a related development,  

Galadima also visited the infamous scavengers colony that the FCT Minister stormed a-week ago, and directed that all the trees should be cleared, so that the invaders will leave the place. 

He has revealed that the tree clearing has covered about two kilometres, while sending the scavengers away from the site, adding that the FCTA is taking inventory of all the plots around the road corridor, so as to get in touch with them, to show presence there.

“We are in high spirit, because of Ministerial backing we have gotten, it is a very big push for us to do achieve the objective”, he stressed.

A land owner around the road corridors, in Mabushi, Kayode Olumudeji, who seen at the site, said upon seeing the ongoing massive clearing exercise in the area, he and other plot allottees are happy with the development.

 “We are happy with the strides this FCT Minister is trying to achieve, because he has hit the ground running. Nobody believed that this place will be looking like this, as when I came, I didn’t even believe what I was seeing, I’m very happy, and I want to believe that everybody that has property here will be very happy. So, keep up Wike, as we are happy with what you are doing. This is what we what we want to see in the FCT. 

He however, recalled that “prior to this time, we don’t like coming here, because, when we come, you get disturbed and you go home sad because of what you see at the site, as baba-bolas takeover the area, and your heart will be broken. But, coming here now, I’m happy, and I know that when I come back in two weeks time, I will be more happy.”