Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has ordered the immediate demolition of buildings constructed on designated waterways across Abuja following recent flooding in parts of the capital.
Wike issued the directive on Tuesday after inspecting flood-affected areas in Maitama and other parts of the Federal Capital Territory.
He said the demolition would begin immediately and continue through Saturday, stressing that the exercise would not be halted because of political considerations or the status of property owners.
“We will pull down every house built on the water channels, regardless of who owns them. Some of the affected properties belong to senators and other influential people, but the law will apply to everyone,” Wike said.
The minister said several properties had been built on waterways designated in the Abuja Master Plan to facilitate the movement of stormwater. He blamed blocked drainage channels, indiscriminate waste disposal and poor maintenance of drainage systems for worsening the impact of flooding.
Wike said some of the illegal developments had existed for between eight and 10 years and were owned by wealthy Nigerians. He said the FCT Administration would no longer allow wealth or political influence to prevent enforcement of planning regulations.
He also directed the relevant FCT authorities to begin immediate desilting of drainage channels identified as contributing to the flooding.
Wike acknowledged that climate change and unusually heavy rainfall had contributed to the recent floods but said human activities had also worsened the situation.
“We are in a climate change period. The kind of rains we have experienced, or we are experiencing now, we have not experienced before. But that is not that there are no man-made factors. There are,” he said.
The minister urged residents, traders and other members of the public to stop dumping refuse in drainage channels. He also directed the FCT Development Control Department to proceed with the demolition exercise and continue enforcing Abuja’s planning and environmental regulations.
