Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Muhammad Bello has cautioned against putting up structures within the territory without proper approvals from the relevant government agencies.
Chief Press Secretary to the Minister, Anthony Ogunleye, in a statement on Sunday, said Bello issued the warning when he received members of the Governing Council of the University of Abuja, led by its Chairman and Pro-Chancellor, Prof. Ahmed Modibbo.
The minister insisted that all buildings must fit into the overall structure of the Abuja Master Plan.
Bello said that the FCT was a creation of law and as such no building should be erected within the territory without the supervision and approval of officials of the FCT Administration (FCTA).
The minister, who emphasised that public buildings the world over were subject to supervision, advised the university authorities to always follow guidelines in the course of developing the institution’s infrastructure.
“Usually, when land is allocated, no matter how vast, its development has to fit into the overall master plan and everything has to be placed in the right location,” he said.
Bello also said that the university should have its own comprehensive Master plan that fits into the Abuja Master Plan, whereby the university authorities would work seamlessly with the FCTA in the development of the institution.
On the recent kidnapped of some staff members of the institution by armed men, the minister commended the university authorities, especially the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abdul Rasheed Na’Allah, for the role he played to curb the crime.
He said that the kidnap attempt was a well planned attack targeted at the city of Abuja and it was the intention of the criminals to get maximum amount of publicity owning to the strategic nature of the city.
Bello said that the FCTA would continue to support the university, more so as staff of the FCTA have continued to take advantage of its proximity to improve themselves academically and professionally.
He also assured the university delegation that issues raised such as encroachment on the university land and other concerns would be adequately addressed.
He said that the university, more than any other public sector institution, had played a very significant role in the development of the territory.
“For instance Gwagwalada, which is the biggest satellite town in the FCT, would not have been what it is today without the presence of the university,” he said.
Earlier, Modibbo had commended the minister for his work in the administration of the nation’s capital.
He thanked the minister for the continued support the university had enjoyed from the FCTA over the years.