Removal of abandoned buildings begins in Abuja

The Development Control does monitoring and enforcement of physical development in line with provisions of Abuja master plan and other guidelines.Last Friday, the director of the department, Mr Yahaya Yusuf led officials to inspect abandoned buildings and pull down those that needed be removed.In Jabi, a plot on Ahmed Musa Street was pulled down. The […]

The Development Control does monitoring and enforcement of physical development in line with provisions of Abuja master plan and other guidelines.
Last Friday, the director of the department, Mr Yahaya Yusuf led officials to inspect abandoned buildings and pull down those that needed be removed.
In Jabi, a plot on Ahmed Musa Street was pulled down. The owner of the building did not object. He said after buying the property, he realized that the house was not fit for use.
But attempt to bring down a house on Ogun Street in Area 2 was stopped by the lawyer of the property owner. He said the house owner and a food company, Tantalizer are in court over the property. The property in question was said to have posed security risk to residents even as it defaced the neighbourhood. Residents said they had been serially attacked and they suspect the bad people hide in the building.
It was gathered that the developer leased the property to Tantalizer for five years. Tantalizer wanted to do an eatery so it sought approval from the Development Control department but it was denied approval because the house was designed to be residential not commercial place.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Development Control department, Mr Emetu Kalu said, “For over two years, we’ve been advising owners of abandoned property in the city to come for revalidation so that they’ll continue work. You don’t leave a house and come back to start building it.
“You have to come, our people conduct hammer test. If the building passes such test, you’re allowed to continue development. We have been reminding owners of such property to come for revalidation exercise.
“Many buildings opposite Wadata house [zone 5], when we called their attention, they came, completed the houses and we issued them certificate of completion but some people felt nothing will happen.
“What we’re doing today is to prove to them that the department has the power to remove just that most times we do it with human conscience for them to see that we’re not inhuman the way they think about the Development Control.
“When a building poses danger, poses threat to the neighbourhood, you see Development Control come to remove such danger.”