FCTA Seals Off 4-storey Commercial Complex For Violating Building Plan Approval
By Ismaila Jimoh, Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has sealed off a 4-storey commercial complex situated at Adetokumbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse 2 District for deviating from approved building plan.
Owner of the property located at plot number 965, Cadastral Zone A07 of Wuse, was discovered to have abandoned its original approval for residential apartments and embarked on building a commercial complex without recourse to the authorities.
FCT Department of Development Control officials while on an inspection tour expressed shock that the construction site was filled with unregistered builders, supervising the infractions.
Director of the Department, Muktar Galadima who ordered immediate seal off of the entire site, revealed that the building approval granted was specifically for a residential block of flats, but the developers illegally modified the plan, converting it to a commercial complex.
Galadima explained that efforts had been made in the past to stop the illegal development, but the developers disobeyed all the ‘stop work’ notices and went ahead with the illegalities.
According to him, the builders supervising the project would be reported to their professional bodies, while the site remained sealed until the right thing was done.
He said: “From what we have discovered, they want to add a sit-out floor, which will mean an additional load. That is why we are taking this action, because when something happens, it is the authority that will be blamed.”
Explaining further, Deputy Director of the Department, Hauwa Tundunwada noted that the additional floor the developers were illegally constructing on top of the building was never part of the original plan, just like other infractions.
She added that the exercise would be carried out at other project sites to checkmate other illegal developments and ensure perpetrators are sanctioned accordingly.
Ganiu Ademola, one of the supervisors who claimed to be a graduate architect on the site, acknowledged that there had been a distortion from the original plan, but said the developers have the intention to seek variation approval from relevant agencies.
