In a bid to reduce cases of building collapses, and paveway for a sustainable city, the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike approved the formation of a Ministerial Committee on Post Development Audit of Buildings in the Federal Capital City, Abuja.
Through the Committee inaugurated by Coordinator of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Chief Felix Amechi Obuah, there will be provision of accurate records of all development permits issued, thereby reducing cases of unapproved development, illegal
conversion of land use, and land grabbing.
Also, it will enhance provision of data on the consumption of the city’s utilities and services such as water, electricity and connectivity to sewer line, which will also detect illegal connections to these facilities denying government revenue.
Another projected benefit is provision of data for accurate taxation and enhanced revenue generation since all buildings and properties would be brought to the
FCT internal Revenue Tax Net, which will generate billions of Naira
to the FCT Administration.
Also expected is the provision of data on research on city planning, development and
management, in view of the fact that Abuja is a success story in the field of city planning, development and management.
According to the AMMC Coordinator, the FCT Minister. Barr. Nyesom Wike, set up the Committee to take a cursory look at the trend of the city’s development and chart a more robust future course for the city’s development, which is in tandem with the renewed hone agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
He added that the exercise will enhance security and employment since consultants and experts would be engaged to provide the necessary expertise and service.
He said: “Therefore, this Committee is critical to the sustainable development of our dear city, and it is our collective duty in ensuring that the Committee succeeds.
“On our part, the FCT Minister is committed to seeing that the necessary logistics needed for the successful completion of this exercise are provided.
“Together, we shall carry out this exercise and together we shall chart a new course for the planning and development of our dear city that is evidence-based and in the end bequeath a sustainable city legacy to future generations.”
The AMMC boss further explained that the committee is made up of representatives of all the relevant FCT departments such as AEPB, Development Control, Urban and Regional Planning, Fire Services etc.
“The people that are been so appointed are professional in their different fields, so we don’t have any doubt about their performance.
“At least, we expect on or before six months, the committee would have come up with a comprehensive report and recommendations to the Hon. Minister.
“It is not a committee of one month or two months, as anything that is worth doing, is worth doing very well, that is why we have give them this amount of time, so as to enable them do a very useful job”, he stressed.
Responding, the Chairman of the Committee, TPL Mukhtar Galadima, who described its work as an honourable but onerous task, however pledged that members of the committee are not going to disappoint the authority.
Galadima, who doubles as Director, Department of Development Control said: “By the grace of God, and with your full support, we are going to do justice to this exercise, because we have been opportune to write our names in gold, if we do this work well.
“I want to call on my co-travellers in this committee that this is a very important task that has been given to us, lets do it judiciously, so the legacy of the FCTA will not be complete without mentioning this committee.
“So, I want to assure that we will not disappoint you (AMMC Coordinator), the Hon. Minister and the Federal Capital Territory Administration.”
