Estate developers in Abuja are to get more value for the money they invest in the industry as the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA is set to overhaul the Department of Development Control(CDD) so that it can function more efficiently and effectively.
Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Muhammad Bello who stated this Wednesday while receiving the report of the panel of inquiry on the August 17 Jabi Building Collapse in Abuja, said the move was aimed at strengthening CDD institutional framework to enable it cope with the ever increasing growth in building activities in the FCT.
Bello who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, FCT Administration, Chinyeaka Ohaa noted that decentralizing the department would also place it in a vantage position to keep to pace with the changing profile of the Territory and improves service delivery.
The Minster assured that, “the recommendations contained in the report will be implemented in order to address the lingering issues of building collapse in the FCT in particular and Nigeria in general.
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“Building collapse, we would all agree, is a universal phenomenon that is also witnessed even in advanced countries. Regardless, the the Administration is concerned that with the calibre, number and mix of professionals in the building industry in Abuja and indeed Nigeria, the incidence of building collapse can be curtailed to the barest minimum in the country in general and the FCT in particular”.
Danladi Matawal, a Professor of Civil Engineering and Chairman of the Panel of Inquiry into the Jabi Building Collapse while presenting the report recommended massive injection of staff in the FCTA Department of Development Control by recruiting Engineers, Architects and also the use of qualified FCDA pool of field officers to forestall incidences of building collapse.
Danladi who is the Director-General of the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute also recommended that there should be an investigation of a design and development racketeering group in FCTA and this should be use to detect quackery and forging of signatures.
“This should be eliminated and we are recommending a biometric report of designers so that nobody is going to deny anything that he didn’t do well. Building inspection site meetings chaired by site officers should be instituted and well qualified Engineers or Architects should be used as site officers.
“Monthly regular site meetings by developer teams should be instituted and this should always be witnessed by Department of Development Control. Quality Control test should be presented constantly at such meetings and should be discussed and this should be directed by the site officer.
“All revalidation process for abandoned sites should be done and a management approach should be used and this should be incorporated for implementation process”, he said.
