Concerned about escalating violations of permitted building designs in the nation’s capital, the Development Control Department (DCD) of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) searched some major construction sites in Wuse II and Abuja’s Central Business District on Wednesday (CBD).
DCD officials and a joint security force raided the site with a bulldozer, dismantling specific infringing structural parts of a massive residential building on Seguela Street, Wuse II.
They also removed building materials and rubbish, allegedly causing flooding in the area.
A stop work notice was also issued by DCD officials on an elongated Burgalow by the perimeter fence of a building undergoing renovations, adjacent Ministry of Transport building in the Central Area.
Explaining the exercise in Wuse II, the Assistant Director, Building Inspectorate, North Division of the Development Control Department, Engineer Mohammed Hadi, decried the level of infringement of the contractor handling the project.
He said, we are in charge of the area, the officials were at the construction sites, so as to stop the contractor and developer, as their actions were not in accordance with the Abuja Master plan.
He , however, explained that approval granted to the developer on 20 August, 2020 is for a five suspended floors (deckings), which it has already reached that level, but from the DCD’s observations, there is a clear intention that the contractor wants to make an additional floor.
According to him ; ” The contractor also failed to submit design and details of the building, so subsequent stages of building approval were not granted. They are not supposed to be working, since a committee was set up to look at the whole thing and proposed a way forward to the management, but they didn’t even allow us to finish the work, as they resume work on site.
“We have mechanised cutters (tools that cut both concrete and steel), which we intend to use to cut the extra structural elements that are not supposed to be in place.
“The neighbours have complained that the contractor’s craine used to cross their own compound, so it’s liable to accident, as it may experience a slip or whatever, and we equally issued a caution, but up till it has been removed.
“There is a heap of construction materials and waste outside the building, which is also a contravention as it’s a threats to others in the area, as they blocked the drains along the road, because of their activities”.
Also, an Assistant Director with the DCD, Mr. Hope Thompson, who led officials to the contravening site in Central Area, warned that the Department at expiration of the mandatory 21 days abatement notice will demolition the Burgalow causing infractions on the site.
According to him ; “We served them for about two weeks ago, so we are counting, and the of the mandatory 21 days notice, we are coming to remove the structure.
“We had served them the relevant notice, they are still working. So we are waiting for the time to elapse, so that nobody will accuse us of not abiding by the rules of engagement.
“People are used to violating our rules, and even at the time when it’s disclosed, they found it difficult to abide by the notices”, he added.
