By Daniel Tyokua
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has directed the Executive Secretary Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) Shehu Ahmed to launch an immediate investigation into the root cause of a building that collapse at Dape District in Abuja.
Permanent secretary Federal Capital Territory Administration, Olusade Adesola gave the directive when he visited the building collapse scene on Tuesday.
This followed the collapsed of a building that was at the first suspended floor going to the second floor on Monday, at Dape in Life-camp area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Adesola said constituting of a committee would help to ascertain the issues that led to the collapse.
He revealed that anyone found guilty will be sanctioned according to the laid down code of engineering profession.
“Let The Executive Secretary Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) constitute a panel to investigate the immediate and root cause of the building collapse.
“This will help to establish the issues that led to the collapse, whether it is from officials of the FCT Administration or from the consultant. Anybody found guilty will be sanctioned appropriately.
“I want to assure the public that when a property is duly authorised by the Department of Development Control, there won’t be issues, this collapse shows that there were some variables that were not taking into consideration, we will look into the details. We will look into what has happened and take appreciate measures.
“From the report making round that a six storey building collapse in Abuja, is not six storey building. The property is at the first suspended floor going to the second floor. The building approval was given for three storey building, so we should not be sensationalizing the misfortune of others.They deserve our sympathy, so as an administration we shall continue to do all within our powers to get things done in right way”
On the building approval, the Director FCT Department of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, said the site which is plot 975 in Dape District was meant for a mixed use and the approval was granted in 2019.
He revealed that the developer failed to adhere to some observations earlier raised by the Department, which led to the ugly development.
“The building was given approval in 2019 but When the developer commence work we raise some observations and asked him to resubmit the plan for reassessment but he didn’t.
“We directed the developer to stop work, but when we were on the last Sallah break, he resume work on the site without our knowledge.”
