NEWS : FCT MINISTER CALLS FOR STAKEHOLDERS SUMMIT

In order to improve the quality of buildings and make houses more
accessible to the residents of the Federal Capital Territory, the FCT
Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has called for multi disciplinary
meeting of all professionals involved in the building industry.

The Minister made this call while receiving a delegation from the
Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) led by its
President, Arc. Umaru Aliyu that paid him a courtesy visit in his
office at Area 11, Garki I District, Abuja on Thursday.

The Minister reiterated that this call has become necessary to enable
professionals in the industry to brainstorm and to ensure that sanity
is brought to the sub-sector, thereby providing more housing delivery
to the populace.

Malam Bello noted that the industry is a robust sub sector that has
the capacity to provide ready employment to the teeming populace in
the FCT, because of the diverse professionals and unskilled labourers
involved from the conception to the completion stage.

He expressed delight to meet professional bodies like ARCON that have
contributed immensely to the development of the Federal Capital
Territory; recalling that recently, he had similar meeting with the
Town Planners Association Nigeria.

According to him, the Architects, Engineers, Town Planners, Surveyors
and Builders should all come together to find a better way to fast
track the entire process from the drawings, building plan approvals,
setting out and the entire building construction process in the
Territory.

The Minister decried a situation where houses are built in estates
without giving enough space for greening, planting of trees and at
least a garden at the backyard as well as space for children play
area.

Malam Bello assured that the FCT Administration on its part would make
the process transparent and friendly to all players in the industry.

Speaking earlier, the President of the Architects Registration Council
of Nigeria, Arc. Umaru Aliyu congratulated the Minister over his
appointment.

The President said that ARCON is assiduously working to eliminate
quacks, which he noted have contributed in no small measure to the
cases of collapsed buildings across the country.

He however stated that no registered Architect has ever been involved
in any case of collapsed building.

The FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye, the Executive
Secretary of FCDA, Engr. Adamu Ismaila and some senior officials of
the FCT Administration joined the Minister to receive the Architects.

Muhammad Hazat Sule, FCAI
Deputy Director / Chief Press Secretary,
Thursday, March 3, 2016.