By Stanley Onyekwere
Officials of the department of Development Control, under the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), have demolished illegal buildings in Sil Estate, within the popular Mbora District of the nation’s capital city.
In particular, the affected structures were those used as security post and residential purposes in the estate, including some perimeter fences in the area.
Speaking to newsmen during exercise, Director of the Department, Tpl Muktar Galadima, said the demolished structures were erected without obtaining necessary building permits, thereby contravening the Abuja Master Plan.
Galadima, who was represented by Deputy Director in charge of Monitoring and Enforcement, Tpl Garba Kwamkur, reiterated the Department’s resolve to demolish such contravening structures wherever they spring up so as to maintain the sanctity of the Master Plan.
According to him, the developer would be made to refund the cost of the demolition exercise, as stipulated by law.
The Director further added that though the Sil Estate developer was yet to have approval for all structures in the estate, his men only brought down the sprawling building on Plot 4545 which was sitting on green area meant for recreation.
“The area was allocated as a comprehensive development plot for residential purpose and the developer moved to site without necessary planning permit and built all sorts of houses.
“We noticed what was going on and did serve the developer and the structures all relevant contravention notices, and we moved forward and processed them for removal.
“The public should know that Abuja is a planned city and whatever they have to build within the city, they must seek development control approval, be it a private or government development or any other entity.
“They must seek planning approval so as to go in line with the aims and objectives of the plan. This developer, called Sil Estate in Mbora, never sought for approval, and we did necessary markings and served him relevant notices but he ignored them.
“That’s why we had to go there and remove the basic ones sitting on a space designated green area, meant for recreational purpose.
“Definately, this developer would have been made to answer to these illegalities and even paid for cost incurred in carrying out the demolition exercise, including use of our machines and logistics. All these are embedded in the law,” he stressed.
