By Kingsley Adegboye

Condemnations have continued to trail the demolition of Minanuel Housing Estate, Abuja by the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA. This is coming on the heels of a plea by subscribers of the 500-unit residential estate that justice should prevail.

The FCTA had embarked on the demolition of the housing estate located at Lugbe along Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Road, Abuja about four months ago over what it called illegal occupation.

Condemning the demolition of the estate which had attained 80 per cent completion, the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, NIIESV said the FCTA’s action was bad considering the housing challenges facing residents of Abuja Capital Territory.

In a statement signed by NIESV’s Publicity Secretary, Otunba. Victor Ayeye, the realtors wondered why FCTA should embark on demolition of  houses within the Territory when the ones available are grossly inadequate.

A recent demolition in Abuja

“The government has not made conscious effort in improving lots of Nigerians in the area of housing in the last 10 years, a development that has made the city of Abuja one of the most expensive in the continent if not in the world, the land experts said.

‘And if private sector developers are intervening to breach the housing gap, one wonders why FCTA which primarily should encourage and support such initiative would turn around and sabotage same through reckless demolition without  considering the import of the action on the low income earners. What is more puzzling is the fact that the low income earners pulled their resources together, went through necessary government agency such as the National Housing Fund, NHF to raise the funds for the houses. .

‘’Some among these helpless Nigerians had invested all their lives’ savings on this project, and why the government waited this long before the demolition beats the imagination of the Institution,” the realtors said..

Equally condemning the demolition, Chairman, Senate Committee on Lands Housing and Urban Development, Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim said the recent demolitions of estates and other structures in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT and its environs by the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA were uncalled for,.

Senator Ibrahim who said this shortly after the 2012 induction ceremony for 274 newly registered Quantity Surveyors and 19 newly practicing firms and Quantity Surveyors professional clinic on ethics and values held at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, added that the demolition exercise was unacceptable most especially now that the country is facing housing deficit.

“To me this issue of demolition is crazy. In a country where people are grappling, fighting and crying for more houses and for somebody will demolish houses that are already built, to me it is crazy. Those who are charged with the responsibilities to look after building in the FCT should not allow people to do foundation put blocks, roofing and complete the building and then you come and demolished it. Why don’t you stop them?

Senator Ibrahim observed that the justification always given by development control department of FCTA that it gives defaulters a “stop work” order which they ignore was weak argument, adding  that the relevant authorities should not allow people to engage and continue with structures in the first instance and should use law enforcement agencies to halt development of perceived illegal structures, instead of allowing such structures to be completed at all.