Bauchi grants 150,000 building approvals

The Bauchi State Urban Planning and Development Board has said it recently issued no fewer than 150,000 building permits to individuals and groups to control infrastructure development.

Malam Sagir Shamaki, the General Manager of the agency, made the disclosure on Monday in Bauchi.

He said the agency was mandated to control and effectively monitor infrastructural development within the radius of 25km in the state capital and 8km to 15km in local government areas.

He explained that whoever erected a structure without adhering to the basic requirements, getting formal permission and registering the project with the agency would have his building demolished or be asked to remove it.

“I call on owners of land titles to hasten the registration of their lands and obtain Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) to avoid unnecessary difficulties,” he said.

He warned residents against erecting structures in industrial or commercial areas, stressing that they must get an approval before doing so.

“We must always inspect and ascertained the nature and location of any proposed building before granting approval” he added.

He reiterated the commitment and determination of the agency in ensuring that the metropolitan master plan is not distorted or tampered with to enable Bauchi town to assume its projected cosmopolitan status.

The Bauchi State Government recently inaugurated a task force on illegal motor parks and indiscriminate parking of vehicles.

The task force had in the previous week impounded no fewer than 70 vehicles whose owners violated the rules and slammed a fine of N20,000 on each of the erring motorists.