PRESS RELEASE:STAKEHOLDERS TO BRAINSTORM ON ABUJA MASTER PLAN SOON-MIN

                                                    

The FCT Administration will soon organize the gathering of experts and
other stakeholders to brainstorm on the Abuja Master Plan and how
Abuja should be in the future.

The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, made this disclosure
Friday, while receiving members of the Nigeria Mining and Geo Sciences
Society led by its President, Professor Gbenga Okunlola, that paid him
a courtesy visit in his office at Area 11, Garki I District, Abuja.

The Minister said that the experts and stakeholders would discuss the
city to have a consensus on how they want Abuja to be in about 20
years from now and beyond.

Malam Bello remarked that the present FCT Administration is jealously
guarding the implementation of the Abuja Master Plan; noting that some
of the wrongs perpetuated in the in the past are being corrected.

His words: “Since we came on board, we have always insisted on going
back to the basis to safeguard for instance, green areas for tourists
attractions for the present and future generations.”

According to him, plots of land previously allocated on rock
formations or near rock formations in the Federal Capital City have
been put on hold to be preserved for future generations.

“It is our duty to protect and preserve such areas like rock
formations, green areas and others that can be of immense attraction
to tourists in the Federal Capital Territory,” he added.

The Minister described mining as very important to Nigeria because
government is determined to develop that sub sector to rip in the
needed foreign exchange.

He assured that the Nigeria Mining and Geo Sciences Society would be
part of the experts and stakeholders to brainstorm on the Abuja Master
Plan and the future of Abuja.

Speaking earlier, the President of the Nigeria Mining and Geo Sciences
Society, Professor Gbenga Okunlola who said his delegation was in
Federal Capital Territory to inform the Minister of the forthcoming
53rd conference of the society scheduled for Abuja on 23rd March 2017,
remarked that the society is one of the oldest professional bodies in
Nigeria inaugurated in 1961.

The President commended the present FCT Administration for the high
level of security in the city as well as its efforts in completing the
abandoned road projects. “The level of adherence to the Abuja Master
Plan is also commendable”, he added.

He, however, urged the Minister to engage the services of the Society
as the FCT Administration plans to embark on the geological maps
upgrade and review of the Abuja Master Plan.

While saying that Abuja has six different kinds of rocks, Professor
Okunlola revealed that building failures are mostly due to geological
factors.

Signed
Muhammad Hazat Sule, FCAI
Deputy Director / Chief Press Secretary,
Friday, January 20, 2017.