The first street to be constructed in Abuja was the Festival Road which was later named the Moshood Abiola Road. But due to its popularity in those days, despite the change in its name, many of the old schools still call it with its old name till date. The name was derived from the most significant landmark along the street, which was the Festival Ground, as named on the Abuja Land Use Plan.
The first Independence Day Celebration in Abuja took place on the 1st October 1982 at the Festival Ground during the Shagari administration. Many of our National heroes including all the Presidential Candidates that contested in the 1979 election were in attendance. On the same ground in 1986, Former President Babangida appeared and took a Nationalsalute wearing a Navy uniform, instead of his Army, to the admiration of all who witnessed the occasion.
The shifting of the National Day Celebrations and Conventions to the Eagle Square when it was built, made the Festival Ground to be regarded as the Old Parade Ground. Be that as it may, it was not meant to stop similar functions with less magnitude at the Festival Ground. These include low-keyed National and Children’s Day Celebrations which at times were delegated to the FCT Minister by the President, and all other FCT based functions and sporting activities. Also, almost all the National events at the Eagle Square require the support of the Old Parade ground.
Part of security measures to ensure successful events, are accreditations of official invitees and delegates for onward transportation to the Eagle Square during
National Day Celebrations, or National Conventions of the big political parties in Nigeria. The old Parade Ground is among the venues for these purposes.
Recently, the FCT Administration carved out 2Ha from the Old Parade Ground as Plot No 4742 Cadastral Zone A01 Garki I District, and allocated it to the ruling APC for the building of its National Secretariat. The certificate of occupancy with its number is now trending in the social media.
Meanwhile, the allocation must conform to the approved land use and be compatible with the surrounding uses. The Festival Ground is classified as a public institution land, and is for the benefit of all citizens without discrimination. Making a recommendation of allocation to a political party by any Town Planner or Land Officer is a professional compromise. It is a violation of Civil Service rules and regulations as well as gross violation of professional ethics, subject to sanctioning by any professional practice regulatory body.
To convert the Old Parade Ground for use by any political party is not only incompatible, but also a gross violation of the Abuja Master Plan. The FCT Minister is an appointee of the APC Government, hence the allocation to the APC, not to any other Party. None of the ruling parties before the APC ever descended to this level of impunity. This is a very dangerous precedence which has never been committed by any FCT Administration in the past.
Only 3 days ago, while receiving a report of the committee on illegal land conversion, the FCT Minister stated that it would not be business as usual for those flaunting the City’s land use laws. Obviously, nobody can understand him, if he doesn’t show good example. The Minister promised to defend the Abuja Master Plan on his first day in office. But he ended up attacking the plan, by violating the Transportation Facility Lands, Parks and Green Areas and now Publicinstitutions land.
Former President Buhari of blessed memory was the founding Father of the
APC. He wouldn’t allow such violations to be linked to the APC he built.
Throughout his tenure, his Minister never allowed the abuse of the Abuja Master Plan. Within the week, while hosting some visitors, President Tinubu was quoted saying “part of what we inherited from Buhari was his honesty, transparency, and justice”. The ball is now on his court to do the needful.
Certainly, power is transient, whether we like it or not. In that case this land is an ominous fruit for the APC to consume. Leaders must not be carried away by the delusions of power. They must foresee a danger that would be capable of dragging the glory of their Party in the mud. They must prevent a situation that will make it difficult to save the reputations of their platform either in or out of power.
Assuming the APC lost the next election, for sure this illogical allocation shall be revoked without any delay, and any structure built on it would be demolished. It won’t be the first demolition on that land. Corner shops were built much earlier by a previous FCT Administration, and all were cleared by a subsequent
Administration. A stitch in time saves nine.
