Town Planner Mukhtar Usman Galadama is the Director, Department of Development Control in Abuja. He spoke with Viewpoint Housing News saying one of his agenda for next year is to grant building plan approval in just one week as there will be transition from analogue to digital process of building approval. According to him, speedy approval of development plans for the satellite towns as well as providing them infrastructure can spread development and decongest the city centre. He explained why event organisers are barred from the Thisday Dome in the Central Business District, Abuja.
We intend to go into electronic approval where an individual can send his plan electronically and when he or she meets the criteria, approval is given without delay — Mukhtar Usman Galadama
By Ladi Patrick & Ene Abu
Viewpoint: It is said that your office has banned use of the Thisday Dome in the Central Area, what is the reason?
Galadima: I want to believe the reason Thisday Dome was closed is because government wants the place to be exclusively used for offices; not Event Centre. When you look at the environment, you will see that most buildings there are one government ministry or agency. Another reason could also be because they have over-stayed their welcome or government needs the property for something else. I believe the property was given to Thisday as a temporary allocation because it is originally owned by the Federal Ministry Agriculture which perhaps might want to make use of it.
Viewpoint: Years ago, the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) came up with a policy that any building that collapse, the plot will be taken by government. This appears as a punitive measure to the developer, what about the approving authorities?
Galadima: As we speak, some of our colleagues are still on suspension for over two years now as a result of that and government has since then withdrawn the tittles of such lands.
Viewpoint: You recently announced government’s plans to acquire plots with abandoned buildings as a way of tackling homelessness. What is government doing about completed but unoccupied houses?
Galadima: First and foremost, these issues are in phases. We are currently dealing with the issue of abandoned buildings; we are appealing to the federal government to acquire these properties and then hand them over to our staff to address the housing deficits in the country. So when we are done with the issue of abandoned buildings, we will move to address the challenges of unoccupied houses in the nation’s capital.
The issue of unoccupied houses is associated with non-payment of taxes on properties. We are also suggesting that there should be rent control because if they can reduce the rent on these houses, a lot of people will want to rent because they can conveniently afford.
Viewpoint: So when will government be prepared to begin action on unoccupied buildings?
Galadima: You know government procedures do take time as a result of the processes involved. There has to be a committee set up to look into the issues and come up with their findings with a budget to achieve this. So this is not something that I can tell you authoritatively. But I want to tell you that as soon as we are done with the issue of uncompleted buildings, we will move into addressing the unoccupied houses in the cities.
Viewpoint: Many buildings in the heart of Abuja including the Federal Secretariat are blighted. Is government really interested in tackling urban blight?
Galadima: Yes! Government is interested in taking urban blight. So many things have happened in the past so we are trying to evolve strategies. So like those blighted buildings, after serving [owners] notice to redecorate, and they fail to do so, we have what is known as the Urban and Regional Tribunal to prosecute such individuals who fail to comply and when they’re found guilty, the law will take its course.
Viewpont: There used to be land tribunal in FCT where those with land issues used to go to. What has become of the tribunal?
Galadima: The Urban and Regional Planning Tribunal is still functional but the leadership has been dissolved and we are expecting that new members will be sworn-in.
Viewpoint: The year is ending. What would you say are your achievements so far?
Galadima: You know, we are noted for granting Development Permit. Before now, it took long time to get the permit but we have been able to review the process and within three months, one can get approval — unlike what took place about a year ago.
We have also increased our revenue generation within the year. From January to August, we had been able to generate about 15,000 jobs because we granted over 1,600, approvals so the multiplier effect is massive.
In the area of enforcement, people are now aware that if they violet the law, they will pay for it. So we have created more awareness about our existence.
Viewpoint: What are your challenges?
Galadima: The rising population of Abuja is a major challenge us because as they are coming in, they come in with their problems. This has also given rise to the security challenge in the city. We also face the challenge posed by the original inhabitant community in Abuja.
Viewpoint: What is government doing to tackle the massive influx of people into the city?
Galadima: As part of our effort to address the rising population in the city centre, we fast tracked the approval of proposals coming from the satellite towns so that they can be developed. Also our sister agencies are working round the clock to provide infrastructures such as roads to attract investors to build estates and those who have lands in these satellite towns to develop them. We are also appealing to town planners to decentralize by moving some industries to the satellite towns to reduce the influx of people into the city centre.
Viewpoint: What is your agenda for 2020?
Galadima: One of my agenda for next year is to make building approval faster say one week, in line with global best practice. We intend to go into electronic approval where an individual can send his plan electronically and when he or she meets the criteria, approval is given without delay.
We want also to be employing technology where the public can interface with the agency and also monitor development using technology. To this end, we will be partnering with the Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency [NITDA] to achieve this transition into digital process of building approval.
