FCTA makes U-turn over plan demolition of Senate President, Speaker’s official residence
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) says there is no plan to demolish the official residents of the President of Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives as well as those of their deputies.
The Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engr. Ahmed Hadi made this known when he appear before the House of Representatives Adhoc Committee investigating the real estate sector in the FCT, on Tuesday in Abuja.
This is coming less than 24 hours as a direct negation of what the Coordinator of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, Umar Shuaibu said, when he appeared before the House of Representatives Adhoc Committee investigating the real estate sector in the FCT in Abuja, on Monday.
Speaking on behalf of the FCT Administration, Shuaibu said: “There are so many buildings and structures that don’t conform with our Master Plan. These structures and buildings are everywhere. There are some in the three arms zone.
“The official residences of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives don’t conform with our Master Plan. They’re located within the Three Arms Zone.
“We have written to notify them of the violation of Abuja Master Plan. We are waiting to move in soon. They’ve been duly notified by us,” he said.
The said structures are located inside the National Assembly. Former FCT Minister and current Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed gave the approval for the construction of the structures during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Hadi insisted that the official residents of the President of Senate and the Speaker didn’t in any way contravene Abuja master plan.
He also said that due diligence had been done in every bit of the process for the construction of the structures.
“We want to use this forum to reach out to the leadership of the National Assembly that there was no any intention to raise the issue or embarrass the offices of the President of Senate nor the Speaker or the Deputy Senate President.
“The issue is not a conclusive position and we have not reached a climax of the forum. We really take exception to that news making around that.
“That is not the position of the FCTA and certainly not the position of this investigative workshop. I’m not mincing word to say that everything that we agree here we will crosscheck with our records has been done,” he added.
He said that the development within the three arms zone was intended to house the legislature, executive and judiciary.
He added that on the side of the executive the Presidential Complex was developed which was supposed to be a residential and office complex side by side with the resident of the Vice President which is all master plan provision.
“On the side of the judiciary is the Supreme Court and the official residence of the Chief Justice of the Federation. Somewhere along the line, the legislative arm which occupies the largest complex has no provision of the residences of the presiding or principal officers.
“And this was what makes case between the period 2014 there were handful correspondences between the FCDA and the department of Development Control and after due consultation with the leadership of the national assembly that this was what is needed to have residential provision within the three arms zone so that it will become complimentary,” he stated.
(The Nation)
