The exempted culprits

Many would violate the land use rules, authorities ignore, but would choose to punish those it desires. Recently, the new PDP National Secretariat was earmarked for demolition and the Adamawa State Government Lodge at Asokoro District was sealed, all for violation of the land use requirements. The various land uses in the Phase I of […]

Many would violate the land use rules, authorities ignore, but would choose to punish those it desires. Recently, the new PDP National Secretariat was earmarked for demolition and the Adamawa State Government Lodge at Asokoro District was sealed, all for violation of the land use requirements.
The various land uses in the Phase I of Abuja Land Use Plan range from residential, educational, community and commercial, public institution utilities and employment and open space, park and recreation. The appropriate land use for political party offices is community area, not even commercial. However, the Abuja City Land use plan lumps both community and commercial uses within the same area. It is the purpose clause in letter of allocation that specifies the actual use to be implemented by the developer. The purpose clause must tally with the land use otherwise the land use takes precedence.
In that case the location of any political party office outside community and commercial area is a land use contravention. Thus, the location of the new PDP Secretariat at Oyi River Crescent Maitama District is a violation of the land use requirement of the area, because it is earmarked for low density residential use. The use of the Adamawa State Government Lodge as an alternative is also wrong for similar reason. But, are these the only instances of contravention of land uses in the city, especially concerning political party offices, their national headquarters, or party activities taking place at state government lodges?  
Just like the new PDP secretariat, almost all the political party offices in Abuja are either located in areas earmarked for residential activities or other uses, contrary to the approved land use. We shall categorically state that even the main PDP secretariat at the Wadata House, Wuse Zone 5 is situated in an area earmarked as Employment Area not community or commercial. This is also a clear violation of the Abuja master plan. The Goodluck Support Group office at No 6 Ayangba Close Garki I District is clearly in an area earmarked for residential use, just as the new PDP secretariat in Maitama District. But for all the time they have been operating at their locations have they been served with similar enforcement notices?
While some aspects of the plan for the city development were implemented and sustained, the dynamic characteristics of the pattern of urban activities magnetize some of the developments to now be put to use contrary to the original proposal as earlier implemented. The commonest of these changes is that which involves the transformation of residential area to commercial or multifunctional uses, when some important arterial and collector roads traversing across major residential areas present themselves as focal points highly conducive for commercial activities.
Over the years, authorities themselves recognize this dynamic nature of Urban and Regional Planning and were approving the changes of land uses that fall within these categories. However, other schools of thought consider such conversions as professionally wrong. This controversy made authorities to put on hold land use conversions. For a long time now all applications for change of use are being stockpiled with neither rejection nor approval due to the failure of the administration to make categorical declaration on the status of land use changes. The new PDP might have applied or not, but to our knowledge there are hundreds of residential structures which owners have applied for change of use to commercial that are yet to be approved, but the premises are now in use for the commercial activities. Have all this also been subjected to the services of enforcement notice? In the event of policy somersault, are those already approved going to be reverted?
Authorities should make categorical declaration on the status of land use changes; otherwise nothing stops this type of contraventions. Also, enforcement notice must be applicable to all, without exemption, and none should be singled out for settlement of political scores. The Gov. Kwankwaso, A-Class and the new PDP Secretariat cases were not mere coincidences.