By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
The House of Representatives has thrown out a petition by a group against the Director of the Department of Development Control of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Town Planner, Muktar Galadima.
The House dismissed the petition as the petitioner failed to show up to defend the petition.
At the case listed among those to be treated by the house committee on Thursday November 16, 2023. The Director and his counsel, Alkali Adamu Askira Esq were at the venue, room 429 before the 1pm slated time. Sadly, the petitioner was nowhere to be found.
The chairman of the House of Representatives committee on Public Petition, Honourable Mike Etaba subsequently threw out the petition.
Speaking to newsmen on the matter, counsel to the director, Alkali Adamu Askira Esq said, “We filed our defense and produced ten hard copies and one soft copy as demanded by the committee. Precisely by 2pm the clerk called the case but to our great dismay the petitioners failed to appear nor their counsel”
Speaking further he said , “ As lawyers, we are minister in the temple of justice, we shouldn’t appear to be on the side of injustice no matter what. When a matter is adjourned in your presentlce, it means you have dully served with notice of the next sitting, but failure to appear without any reasons is like you abandon the petitions.”
He praised the chairman and members of the committee, saying that they are absolutely right in striking out the petitions.
He disclosed that, “ if not the committee are quasi administrative body, we would have asked for five million Naira cost for wasting our precious time to respond to this malicious petitions that lack merits in all it’s ramifications”.
He thanked the committee’s chairman and members for not allowing their, “noble office to be used as a platform of dragging good name of public servants down to the mud”.
On his part, the Director of Development Control Department, Town Planner Muktar Galadima says with this petition thrown out he can now focus on his job with no distraction
In his words, “Abuja is growing too fast and the challenges of ensuring proper development is very heavy. Petitions like this are very distracting. The time one would spend in vetting and approving building plans should not be spent in reading and responding to frivolous petitions such as this one.
“I can now spend time with my team and colleagues in the department to monitor building construction, correct contraventions and remove illegalities where the need arises”.
He praised the lawmakers for the decision, while calling on the petitioner to devote his or her energy on meaningful and fruitful ventures.
