FCTA THREATENS LEGAL ACTION AS RIVER PARK ESTATE DEVELOPERS FLOUT DIRECTIVES
By: Wisdom Acka
Developers at the River Park Estate in Lugbe, Abuja, have brazenly disregarded repeated stop-work orders issued by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), continuing illegal construction activities despite a ministerial directive halting all developments in the estate.
Director of the Department of Development Control, Tpl. Mukhtar Galadima, revealed this during an on-site inspection with journalists, expressing frustration over the developers’ persistent defiance.
“We are here to enforce total compliance with the government’s directive that no further development should occur in River Park Estate until pending issues are resolved,” Galadima stated.
When questioned about the repeated violations by developers of the estate, Galadima admitted: “We’ve conducted similar operations here at least three times. Each time, we remove illegal structures, yet developers return.” He attributed the latest intervention to fresh reports of ongoing construction, prompting another demolition exercise.
Pressed on the financial and operational toll of these repeated enforcements, the Director acknowledged the problem, saying: “We are now liaising with the legal secretariat to pursue lasting solutions through the courts. The kinetic approach alone hasn’t worked.”
Further into whether the developers were testing the FCTA’s resolve, given the repeated violations. Galadima responded firmly: “Nobody is above government. If they think they can outlast us, they’re mistaken. Legal action will ensure we don’t return here again.”
While he declined to specify legal consequences, he disclosed the Legal Secretariat was being waited upon for the next legal action.
He confirmed that the developers were fully aware of the ban on construction work. “The ministerial committee’s decision was widely publicized -all vacant plots must revert to the FCTA. Ignorance isn’t an excuse, for now, we’ve done our part. The law will take its course,”
