The Federal Capital Territory Administration ( FCTA) has blamed the Federal Housing Authority ( FHA) over the collapsed two-storey commercial complex under construction at Gwarinpa District.
The Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority ( FCDA) Engr. Shehu Hadi Ahmad blamed FHA for compromising, and expressed dismay over indiscriminate changes in land use within Gwarinpa District that FHA controls.
Ahmad said that concerted efforts were being made to rescue all persons suspected to be trapped within the rubbles, advised FCTA and FHA to work with unity of purpose as it relates to building guidelines to avoid future mishaps.
However, the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) has vowed to take appropriate actions against the developers of the two-storey building .
The FHA’s Head of Public Affairs, Kenneth Chigelu, who spoke to some Journalists at the site of the collapsed building, acknowledged that the developers compromised the approval granted to them by the FHA.
According to him, “Preliminary findings revealed that an approval for 2 floors was granted by the Federal Housing Authority to the developer, who decided to add an extra floor to the structure”.
Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) Umar Shuaibu said investigations will commence immediately to ascertain both the remote and immediate cause of the collapse.
Director of Development Control, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Muktar Galadima said that those rescued have been taken to hospital for medical attention.
Meanwhile, the Director General of Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency FEMA, Alhaji Abbas Idriss, confirmed that the rescue workers have so far rescued 23 affected persons out of which two were fatally injured .
The FEMA DG disclosed that most of the people rescued are responding while some were even communicating under the rubbles, adding that the rescue operation is a successful one.
“As far as we are concerned this is a very successful operation and I want to use this opportunity to thank the stakeholders and the media”.
working hard to rescue alive those that are still trapped under the rubbles of the two-storey commercial complex.
Reporting by Remi Johnson; Editing by Fany Olumoye;Julian Osamoto & Adeniyi Bakare