What to do with the Abuja’s abandoned buildings

Last Tuesday, many FCT residents woke up to bemoan the sad reality that uncompleted and abandoned buildings have now became a big nightmare needed to be tackled immediately in the capital city   Though the buildings are everywhere, they could be found mostly in the city centre especially in high-brow areas like Guzape, Gaduwa, Maitama, […]

Last Tuesday, many FCT residents woke up to bemoan the sad reality that uncompleted and abandoned buildings have now became a big nightmare needed to be tackled immediately in the capital city  

Though the buildings are everywhere, they could be found mostly in the city centre especially in high-brow areas like Guzape, Gaduwa, Maitama, Asokoro and even Garki. They are owned by very rich men and women who have decided to abandon them for one reason or the other. Some of these structures have been the way they are now for very many years.  

The most unfortunate situation is that while these abandoned structures are rotting away or infested by reptiles and other dangerous animals, thousands of people are now trying to secure places where they could build such projects in order to reduce the shortage of houses being in Abuja.  

No wonder that the FCT Administration has decided to take drastic measures against the owners of such structures. According to the FCTA Director of Land, Mallam. Adamu Jibrin, the owners will be sanctioned including the revocation of the tittles of the land where these buildings are situated. The number of such buildings far exceeded what the government has revealed. The number is large.  

This writer is of the view that the planned action by the FCTA management against the owners of such buildings is a step in the right direction. They must be made to realise that their actions are wrong. They should be forced to complete them and be put to good use or forfeit them since they have refused to either use them or allow others to make use of them. Well done, FCTA! More of such decisive actions are needed in the nation’s capital city.  

Ibrahim Biu sent this from Abuja