Landuse contravention: FCTA seals off hotels, 2 others in Maitama

By Stanley Onyekwere

For allegedly contravening the FCT land use Act, the Development Control Department of the FCT Administration yesterday sealed off four developed property in the highbrow area of Maitama District, in the nation’s capital city.

The affected property are: Ten Room Hotel; Paris Choice Hotel and Resorts; Six Club and Restaurants; and Deluxe Colours, a paint making firm respectively.

Our correspondent who monitored the exercise, reports that the FCTA officials, who were accompanied by a team of armed security personnel gave occupants of the buildings 20 minutes to vacate them, before they were sealed off.

Speaking after the exercise, Chief Estate Officer, Development Control Department, Hussaini Dalhat, explained that the sealed property were in contravention of land use Act, because they had illegally converted private residences into commercial uses.

Dalhat while disclosing that the affected property were served with appropriate notices, said: “We served necessary abatement notices on four of them, precisely on the 21st of March,2021, we gave them grace of 21 days to revert to the approved use, warning that otherwise sanctions will be taken against them.”

According to him: “The (Abuja) master plan has been bastardised, so we want to see that they have put things according to the approved plan for the plots. So what we are doing now is going to be a continuous exercise.

“So far four contravening property have been sealed. This one on number 12a Kastina Ala Crescent, you can see there is no signage or anything, so you might assume that it is just a residential building, it’s not as it’s referred to as Ten Room Hotel, which is in violation of land use Act.

“The second one is Paris Choice Hotel and Resorts at Owena Street, Maitama which is supposed to be a residential building.

The other ones are Six Club and Restaurants, and Deluxe Colours are located within the same premises (plot of land) in the area.”

He however maintained that the defaulting property should revert to the original use of the plots, as they are already under seal until they revert accordingly.