The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has promised to partner with the Town Planners Registration Council (TOPREC) and other professional bodies in building the capital city of its dream and to stamp out quackery and unprofessionalism, which constitute a menace to the FCT environ involving distortion of the Abuja Master Plan, building collapse, loss of lives properties in the FCT.
The minister of the FCT Malam Mohammed Bello who made this know at the grand commissioning of the TOPREC office in Abuja said the Town Planners Registration Council (TOPREC) is a critical agency of government with the statutory mandate to regulate and control the practice of the profession of physical planning in all ramification in Nigeria.
He said that the TOPREC’s office complex located in Jahi district, which aims to provide befitting office accommodation for the council is apt and came at a time when the FCT administration is resounding issues of controlling and regulating professional practice in the built environment.
“As you are all aware, the FCT, being the most rapidly growing and the largest construction city in Africa, hosts the largest number of professionals in the built environment in Nigeria. Over the years, the FCTA has witnessed an influx of unqualified professionals, quackery, and misconduct among professionals in the Built Environment.
“While the FCT has witnessed few building collapse, often reports of the various Panels of Inquiry constituted by the Administration glaringly point accusing fingers to an unwholesome behaviour and misconduct by professionals in the built environment.
“It is no doubt that the task of building a new federal capital city requires collective efforts and contribution from both the public and private sector as w professional and regulatory bodies in Nigeria. The contribution of professionals in the building industry especially Town Planners must be commended. Our immediate challenge now is maintaining the beauty and standards, which we started with, and must be sacrosanct,” he said.
Earlier, the president of the Town Planners Registration Council (TOPREC), Tpl. Isyaku Kura thanked the minister of the FCT, Malam Muhammad Bello, for restoring this plot to the Council after it was mistakenly revoked.
“The 34 years of successful existence of TOPREC and the commissioning of this new office corporate headquarters justifies the support TOPREC has always received from the federal government over the years through mutual and cordial collaboration with the Ministry, coupled with the persistent and prudent efforts of its past and current managements, which has made this feat a reality today.
“We pledge to remain at the forefront of regulating and controlling Town Planning Practices in line with our mandate. The new office complex will provide a conducive atmosphere to do this well,” he said.
