Leadership (Abuja)
Fayil Friday.
5 October 2008
The committee set up by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Dr. Aliyu Modibbo, to look into the circumstances surrounding the collapse of a shopping mall on plots 230/1161, Utako Cadastral Zone B05, has indicted 13 directors.
The four-storey building, which collapsed on July 30, 2008, officially claimed five lives, but unofficial sources put the number of casualties at over 10. Following the public outcry that trailed the building's collapse, a development many attributed to poor enforcement of regulatory measures, the FCT minister set up the committee to look into the immediate and remote causes of the incident.
The committee, which submitted its report to the Federal Capital Executive Committee (FCEC) on September 1, 2008, recommended a number of measures, including sanctioning of the property developer for "non-compliance with the terms of approvals granted by the Development Control Department as well as referring of professionals involved in the tragedy to their respective "professional regulatory bodies for appropriate disciplinary measures".
According to sources from the ministry, the setting up of the ministerial committee was part of a series of interventionist measures embarked upon by the FCT administration to check the inherent deficiencies in the construction of buildings and re-aligning building plans to the FCT's master-plan.
The report, which LEADERSHIP SUNDAY exclusively obtained, showed that the first on the list of the indicted persons is TPL Isa Shuaibu. He was indicted for acknowledging and issuing a billing notice on 03/07/2007 as well as giving the building plan approval on 13/07/2007.
The report recommends that Shuaibu "explain reasons for the resurrection of the file when there was a ministerial order to suspend treatment of files with revocation history".
TPL Yahaya A. Yusuf was also indicted because he was the director/head of Development Control Office at the time of the collapse.
Arc. Adamu Abuja, deputy director (BI), was recommended for disciplinary measures for "setting out an approval on 22/08/07", and for allegedly visiting Plot 1161.
The committee recommended that the architect "explain reasons for the deviation from the approval plans right from the onset."
O. A. Ali, deputy director (BI), was also knocked for giving "staged approvals even when he had raised doubts about the stability of the structure when he visited the sites. The report said he gave first floor approval on 02/11/2007; second floor slab approval on 11/06/2008 and third floor slab approval on 25/07/08.
Other indicted directors are Messrs Samson Atureta (TPO II) and Mike Orsu (engineer II). While Atureta was indicted for "carrying out assessment visits alone (and producing assessment reports) in disregard of the Development Control's procedures," Orsu's offence was recommending structural drawings in spite of the magnitude of initial reservations all in one day (02/07/2007).
Concerning the seventh indicted person, B/Dr. Niyi Ajuwon (ACBO), the report faulted him for "illegally performing the functions of a structural engineer" besides recommending "foundation beam setting" and involving himself in the development even after he had been posted out of the district.
The report noted: "This officer appears to have criminal tendencies. He often visited the sites alone and pushed his colleagues to concoct reports."
The duo of Ositam Ume and Aminu Alhassan were indicted for allowing "themselves to be used for the adoption of a concocted report without visiting the site".
The rest are Messrs. Ajibade Adeyinka (Arc. 1), Amina R. Agellah (assistant director, BR and E), Umoru Halilu (assistant director), and A. Iya Ahmed (assistant director, BI).
While Adeyinka was indicted for leading a joint team for roofing inspection and authorised the roofing of the building on 21/07/2005, Ajellah was suspended. The report said she was connected "to the incident only by virtue of being head of the building permit and enforcement in the area". It added that she was on leave when the initial approvals were given.
The ministerial report said that Haliru had been sent on suspension and would give reasons for allowing a poor job in his area of jurisdiction. It carpeted Ahmed for receiving "weekly and monthly reports that were not useful".
After the submission of the report, and the acceptance of all its recommendations by the FCT administration, the FCT minister set up a follow-up committee to draft the government's white paper.
LEADERSHIP SUNDAY gathered that the white paper would be issued anytime from this week.
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