New Telegraph

Building collapse: FCT minister orders arrest of FHA officers, others

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister has ordered the arrest of Federal Housing Authority ( FHA) Officers directly involved in the Commercial Complex, under construction that collapsed in Gwarinpa District of Abuja, two days ago, killing three days. Other suspects also ordered to be arrested include the developer and the supervising engineer of the ill- fated building. Coordinator of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Umar Shuaibu yesterday said the Minister gave the order based on the findings of a preliminary investigation, showing that the officers compromised building standards and other regulations needed for safety.

He directed relevant security agencies to immediately fish the affected officers out and charge them to court for manslaughter. Shuaibu disclosed that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) will review all land allocation given to FHA for mass housing, as it has constantly failed to adhere to standard regulations. He said: “Accordingly, the entire Gwarinpa Estate, occupying the Gwarinpa II, Wupa and Bunkoro Districts of the Phase III of the City development, was allocated to the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) by the FCT Administration, to provide essentially houses and attendant services to the citizens.

They are to develop, control and monitor, to ensure strict compliance with the Abuja Master Plan, using the land use plan as provided by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) as a guide. However, this incident is suggesting that there are flagrant violations in the development guidelines of the Wupa and Bunkoro District as developed and controlled by the FHA. “Our preliminary findings suggest that there were breaches in the location, the building plan approval, the control and the monitoring of the development by the FHA, with glaring criminal tendencies by the developer, and or his representative during the construction activities. Also revealed was the glaring incapacity of the FHA to handle development control in Abuja and shoulder the responsibility of sensitive operations of this nature in cases of emergencies.

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