Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, has directed the Development Control Department of the FCT Administration to take full responsibility for building plan approvals and construction supervision in the territory, in accordance with extant regulations.

The minister gave the directive while reacting to the building collapse on Monday, in Gwarinpa Estate, Abuja, which claimed some lives. He reminded the Department that, in line with the provisions of Section 7, Sub-section 1-3 of the FCT Act of 1976 and Part II, Section 27 - 41 of the Nigeria Urban & Regional Planning Law of 1992 amended in 1999, no person or body is authorised to carry out any development within the FCT without the written approval of the FCT Department of Development Control.

According to a statement issued by his Press Secretary, Mr. Muhammad Hazat Sule, the minister also directed the department, as well as Federal Housing Authority (FHA) that approved and was supervising the collapsed building, and other stakeholders in mass housing development subsector in the FCT, to ensure that henceforth, there must be strict adherence to all regulations on property development in the Territory, adding that the FCT Administration will no longer ignore the construction of buildings on flood plains, and will take necessary measures to correct the anomalies.

While sympathising with the victims of the incident, the minister said that “human lives often lost in the process of building collapse can be avoided if simple urban and regional regulations were sternly followed.”

He emphasised that his administration would not fold its arms to watch the wanton waste of lives; stressing that human life is sacred and must be protected.

•Photo shows FCT Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello.

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