The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Friday, May 12, 2023, said it would intensify efforts to correct grey areas hindering the implementation of the Abuja Master Plan.
The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, said this at a retreat organised for the FCDA Board members and the executive management committee in Abuja.
Bello, who was represented at the event by his Chief of Staff, Bashir Mai-Bornu, urged all stakeholders to work assiduously toward evolving ways that would ensure smooth implementation of the plan.
Bello called on the officials of the authority and stakeholders to work out modalities that would incorporate key areas to strengthen development of the city.
“Abuja has been rightly described as one of the fastest growing cities in the world just as the FCT is the fastest growing sub-national administration in the country.
“This translates into more work for the FCDA as you try to cope with the rapid expansion of the city and ever changing structure and dynamics of the society,’’ he said.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary, FCDA, Shehu Ahmad, said in spite the challenges of distortion and illegal structures in the territory, efforts are on-going to meet up with the requirements of developing a nation’s capital.
He described the retreat as an avenue for provoking discussions on how to correct illegalities faced by the FCDA in meeting up with the plan.
“We organised the retreat as a means to sensitise members of the FCDA board as well as the executive management committee, with other stakeholders on the issue of Abuja master plan implementation,” he said.
Ahmad said that the retreat would inspire discussions across all areas that needed urgent interventions.
On the significance of the retreat, he said the programme was coming when the new administration was about to come on board.
The executive secretary said the resolutions would help the stakeholders reappraise issues in context and present a better position.
“We are discussing how and ways to address issues that are in context in developing Abuja and how to address them.
“The FCDA has not delivered up to its mandate, going by the FCT Act Decree No. 6 of 1976 in pursuit of the dream of our founding fathers to build a befitting capital city.
“We will continue to explore ways to meet up,” he said.
By Salisu Sani-Idris
