*Says green areas are kept for unforeseen circumstances

*Why VP’s residence is uncompleted

By Henry Umoru

THE federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA has said that abuse of the city’s master plan was as a result of changes in government policies that affected the plans of the government before the movement of the seat from Lagos to Abuja.

The Administration also defended  the rampart abuse of the Abuja Master plan where areas hitherto regarded as green areas and recreational gardens are being re-allocated to private developers. Examples of such flagrant abuses abound within the metropolis as well as in the suburbs.

Addressing newsmen recently, Director, Urban and Regional Planning of the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, Abdurahman Salami noted that green areas in the city were sometimes kept for unforeseen circumstances.  “Green areas are not just for that purpose, but sometimes kept for unforeseen circumstances. Although some have been altered or changed to suit the taste of time and be in tune with current trends. If they are negative, we disallow it and if they are positive we incorporate it”.

In another development, the Minister of the Federal  Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Senator  Bala Mohammed said the residence of Vice President Namadi Sambo being built by the administration would be completed when funds appropriated in the 2013 budget are made available.

The National Assembly

According to him, the FCFA had last year proposed to spend the sum of N1 billion for the completion of the official residence of the Vice President located in the Maitama  Extension (renamed Goodluck Jonathan District) in Abuja.

The Minister who spoke to Journalists through  the Director of Public Building,  Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, Mr Bernard Lot, an architect, promised that work on the project would be completed. He however explained that poor budgetary allocation in the 2012 appropriation has stalled the completion of the project.

According to Lot, “For a whole year (2012), there was no budget for that project but under 2013 we had an appropriation and the contractor is working. We had a course to seek for a variation on the contract to implement the second phase of the project. But it was stood down on the grounds that no project will have a variation above 15 percent. ”So, we are having an implementation strategy to ensure that we complete that project on time including the very essential aspects of the work like the gatehouse, bedroom, storage among others.

”The contract is ongoing and we are going to complete the contract while we leave the issue of furnishing. The issue of furnishing is part of the phase two of the project which includes the banquet hall, guest houses, and some security installations which are very vital for the Vice President to live in because of the current security situation in the FCT.”