FCTA Threatens Demolition of Senate President, Speaker’s Official Quarters over Masterplan Violation

Olawale Ajimotokan

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has threatened to demolish the official residences of the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives as well as other principal officers of the National Assembly presently under construction at the Three Arms Zone in apparent contravention of the Abuja Master Plan.

The Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, (AMMC) Umar Shuaibu, made the threat yesterday when he appeared before the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the real estate sector in the FCT.

The other massive structures earmarked for demolition were those sheltering the Deputy President of the Senate, as well as the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Shuaibu said the FCTA had already issued notices to the National Assembly about the impending exercise.

“There are so many buildings and structures that don’t conform with our Master Plan. These structures and buildings are everywhere. There are some in the Three Arms Zone.

“The official residences of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, don’t conform with our Master Plan. They are located within the Three Arms Zone,” he said.

According to him they were only awaiting the go ahead order to bulldoze the affected structures having already conveyed their intention in writing to the National Assembly management.

Interestingly, the approval to build the structures was granted by the same FCT Administration, which funded and supervised the construction.

The approval was granted by Bala Mohammed when he was the Minister of the FCT, during Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Mohammed is presently serving as the Governor of Bauchi State.

The approval came on the heel of the sale of the official residences of the presiding officers of the National Assembly, located in Apo Legislative Quarters, Abuja.

Since the sale of the former official quarters, the FCT Administration has been spending humongous amount of money yearly as house rents of presiding officers of the two chambers of the National Assembly.

The affected structures are expected to be completed before the end of the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration next year.