FCTA Warns Town Planners Against Abuse Of Abuja Master Plan

Authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration ( FCTA) have cautioned members of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) to refrain from abusing the Abuja master plan by adhering to its professional ethics

The admonition came yesterday from the senior special assistant on monitoring, inspection and enforcement to FCT minister, Ikharo Attah.

Attah spoke at a roundtable discussion on “Land Use Change and Challenges of Abuja Master Plan Implementation” to mark the annual week of NITP.

He said town planners’ roles were critical to the development and sustenance of a growing capital city, such as Abuja, and must be taken very seriously. He added that the integrity of Abuja Master Plan would not have been gravelly altered, had the town planners remained faithful to their professional ethics.

Attah said the FCT minister had given ample opportunities to the coordinator of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, Umar Shaibu and the director of the Development Control, Muktar Galadima, who are members of the institute to work for the preservation of the master plan.

The minister’s aide blamed the contraventions of Abuja’s urban and regional planning, illegalities, and indiscriminate change of land use in the nation’s capital on town planners, who he accused of compromising standards.

He vowed that the administration would remain committed to fighting every threat to its development agenda.

“Town planners’ roles are very critical and FCTA takes them as key components.  If alterations will happen in the city, they are the ones that may be approached by those who want to distort the plans.

“FCTA is appealing to them, to stand by their professional ethics and also see themselves as being key to the Abuja project. We are appealing to them to live up to their ethics and not compromise, but work hard and ensure they protect the Master Plan in its entirety,” he added.

Similarly, Galadima blamed members of the institute for the abuse of Abuja’s Master Plan.

Galadima who regretted that some members of the profession were selling their consciousness for some self-selfish ends, also appealed to Town Planners to stop abusing their professional ethics.