By Barbara Nwaiwu
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has ordered the demolition of houses and other structures built on designated water channels in Abuja following flooding in parts of the capital after heavy rainfall on Saturday.
Wike gave the directive on Tuesday, during a press briefing at his office after inspecting flood-affected areas in Maitama, Abuja. He directed the FCT Department of Development Control to remove structures found on waterways from Tuesday to Saturday.
“From today to Saturday, if Development Control likes, let them find any excuses. If they like, let them find excuses—too bad. They can’t. We will demolish all those houses found on the water channel,” Wike said.
The minister said his inspection showed that some property owners had blocked channels designated under the Abuja Master Plan for the movement of water.
“And certainly, we have gone there, and we have seen how people have blocked channels where in the master plan, that is the right way where a channel is supposed to be. People, by their positions, have blocked it, believing that nothing will happen,” he said.
Wike said the flooding had exposed the consequences of blocking water channels and warned that structures found on them would be removed.
“I have told people this in life: that nothing happened yesterday does not mean that something will not happen today. That it did not happen today does not mean that something will not happen tomorrow,” he said.
“Now you have done your own by blocking the water channel, and nothing has happened. Thank God the flood has come; it has drawn our attention to the place. Now, something will happen. I am going to bring those houses down. Any house that falls on the water channel will go down,” he said.
The minister said the order would apply regardless of who owned the affected properties, including senators and other prominent Nigerians.
“Some of them are Senators, some of them are big men. The next thing you’ll see is campaigns now: ‘Oh, why is he doing this during the election?’ That is the next campaign you will see now. Stop it! We have finished elections. Where is the election? There is no election. All those houses will go down,” he said.
“Heaven will not fall; rather, heaven will fall if that peace, that right thing, has not been done,” Wike added.
During the inspection, Wike also visited a designated drainage area in Maitama where a structure had been erected. His aide on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, said the location had been allocated but was revoked in 2011.
“The spot here is a Drainage Area. It was allocated, but REVOKED in 2011. Structure was built on it,” Olayinka wrote in a post accompanying video footage of the inspection.
Wike also identified other human activities that he said contribute to flooding, including illegal developments, the conversion of public green areas into commercial parks, indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drainage manholes and failure to desilt drainage systems.
“It is these man-made factors we have been trying to tackle, and we will continue to tackle. So, you cannot take all these factors as failure of government. No, it’s not correct,” he said.
He said the structures obstructing waterways were built by well-to-do Nigerians and had existed for several years, adding that previous administrations may not have had the political will to enforce the Abuja Master Plan.
“Those houses are houses built by well-to-do Nigerians; those houses were there 10 years ago, eight years ago. Previous administrations may not have had the political will. Officers of government may not have been encouraged to do what they’re supposed to do.”
“I have the political will and what has happened today will show Nigerians that we have the political will to tackle those man-made factors. It doesn’t matter who is responsible. It doesn’t matter how highly placed you are. My interest is that we continue to do the right thing in the city, and we will not stop,” he said.
