Abuse Of Master Plan: FCT Exco creates six regional development offices to safeguard sanctity

Favour Ishember, Abuja

Consequence to the abuse of the Abuja Master Plan, where people build indiscriminately, the FCT Executive Committee (EXCO) has approved the establishment of  ‘FCT Regional Development Offices’ in the six Area Councils  to monitor and safeguard the sanctity of the Abuja Master Plan.

This was one of the highpoints of the decisions taken at the 10th Meeting of the FCT EXCO on Monday in Gwarimpa I District, Abuja, which was chaired by the FCT Minister, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello.

According to the EXCO, the new body is expected to monitor all physical developments to conform with Planning Regulations as contained in the Regional Master Plan of Abuja.

“The Planning Regulation will be enforced to prevent the springing up of squatter settlements, because the Area Councils and Satellite Towns are all integral parts of the Federal Capital Territory and must be developed in consonance with the Master Plan of Abuja,” the EXCO emphasized.

The Bello led EXCO instructed the stakeholder Departments of Land Administration; Urban & Regional Planning; Survey & Mapping as well as Development Control respectively to henceforth, deploy competent officials to these Regional Offices.

While the Regional Offices are to work and liaise with their Head Offices in the City, the FCT Administration insisted that it will not fold its arms to allow the springing up of squatter communities.

The entire land within the 8,000 square kilometers of the Federal Capital Territory, whether urban or regional are planned and developments in these areas will have to be in line with the physical planning as envisioned by the founding fathers of Abuja.