… lifts ban on building plans approval
The Federal Capital Territory Administration has commenced a post-development audit of satellite towns in Abuja, in a bid to develop a database for monitoring sustainable development in the city.
FCT Director of Development Control, Mr Mukhtar Galadima, while speaking to pressmen at the commencement of the exercise at Dawaki Satellite Town, on Tuesday, said the audit will focus on buildings developed with and without approvals.
Galadima said the audit also would mark the recommencement of the issuing of building plan approvals in Abuja satellite towns, adding that the FCTA had earlier stopped granting building plan approvals due to the lack of engineering designs in some of the satellite towns.
“Satellite towns like Dawaki, where we are starting now, would begin to have engineering design. So, we are commencing the post-development audit so that those who built without approvals can now be assessed and be granted approvals if qualified.
“There are over 15 satellite towns like Gwagwalada, Kuje, Karshi, Bwari, Abaji among others, and we want to cover all the Satellite towns,” he said.
The DDC Director explained that the satellite towns were divided into clusters, with staff assigned to specific clusters, stating that owners of property in satellite towns are expected to within 21 days, submit the requisite information for necessary action.
“We have drafted a format where we’re going to divide these settlements into clusters and then the officers have been shared into clusters. They’ll go out, share this format, explain to the owners of these properties the essence of this exercise so that within 21 days we’re expecting the owners of these properties to submit the requisite information that we’re expecting them to do”.
