Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, has called on the National Assembly to improve budgetary allocations for the implementation of physical plans for satellite towns and urban management in the FCT.

The revelation was made by the Special Assistant on Media to the minister, Mr Austine Elemue, in a statement today who said that Aliyu made the appeal following her reception of the management of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners in Abuja.

Dr. Ramatu who stated that recent floodings in some parts of the territory could have possibly been avoided if town planners were actively engaged in the physical planning of satellite towns and settlements, expressed dismay at the conflicts of roles between physical planners and engineers and other allied professionals.

Optimally speaking, the minister who described the flooding as an unexpected phenomenon with the blame on the negligence of town planners, stated that now is the time to redefine the essence of town planning in Nigeria and wondered why town planning is yet to be given prominence in an era like this. She hoped that this will be an opportunity for town planners to also sit together and see how they can salvage the situation.

The minister however, said that with the approval of the FCT Minister in the FCT, the body will set up an ad hoc committee of town planners to do a thorough supervision on work done and work yet undone. According to her, this change will ensue in order to achieve a different result from the status quo where monotonous means of handling the whole issue was used.

She however regretted that the ministry is currently being affected negatively because of the usurpation of powers in the past.

Meanwhile, the leader of Delegation and National President of the institute, Mr Lekwa Ezutah has commended the minister for her passion and commitment to the course of physical planning in the FCT. He advised that the FCT Directorate of Physical Planning should be given full latitude to exercise its functions and should not be listed under the Directorate of Engineering Services of the Satellite Towns Development Department in order to promote effective delivery of services by the directorate.