Abuja is planned with the vision for the prediction of unforeseen challenges and measures for the arresting of the likely adversities. Most especially social and environmental.
For all those skeptical about the realities of climate change and global warming it should be clearer to them that, in the current season, throughout last December and January, the usual harmattan cold wind was replaced with heat, leading to what was referred to as the hottest December in recorded history.
We are already witnessing the mixture of dry winds, haze and clouds preceded with trickles of rains in this month of February, as we proceed into March. This is another strange whether phenomenon. There is no certainty, whether this will be proceeded with droughts or floods. Mild or devastating. Whichever it turns out, the elaborate buffer zones provided as green areas around the City were to serve as mitigating measures to the adversities.
One of the major backlash on the violation of the green areas are the tendencies of escalation of floods around the City. The theater of flood operation used to be Galadimawa roundabout, Trademore and other places. They are areas located in Phase III of the City development and beyond, away from the City center. Anytime the floods occur in every raining season, they are accompanied with loss of lives and valuable properties.
We have earlier made it known that 100 years flood regime was considered when creating the buffer zone along the streams in the Central Area district. It is now less than 50 years from the beginning of formulating the plan to the present, the strange whether phenomena are now emerging. That is the wisdom in the consideration of the 100 years regime. Human lives must be considered more valuable than the developments that would be the sources of disasters.
Not only the human loss, the negative image that floods in the Abuja Central Area District would generate as the Capital City of Nigeria should be an embarrassment which must be avoided, if the City Government is operating sensibly with focus on protecting the image of the nation’s capital.
Irrespective of the region, religion and tribe of all Nigerians who may criticize the concept of the Capital City transfer, the Abuja project is highly successful. Not only that, the Capital City has been transformedinto a sanctuary for all citizens. Almost all politicians and senior civil servants that reside in the City as a result of official assignment, never go back to their home states after their tenures or retirements.
They established exotic mansions. Those that have further influence would buy off or force their neighbours to surrender their titles in order to expand their fortresses. Yet, even as they’re safe haven, when saddled with the responsibility of superintending over the City would be carefree in the protection of its plan.If the City is not beautiful and safe enough, none can be attracted.
Abuja is the first home of most of the high caliber Nigerian elites, because they live much longer here than their home States. There are even serving State Governors that operate more from Abuja than their State capitals.
Phase I and II were passionately guarded by the pioneer FCDA and managers against the type of violations that are now witnessed. Unfortunately, such discipline and professional ethics in the service arenow replaced with greed and penchant for wealth and material accumulation as the driving force by the guardians. Whatever prevents the disaster from striking within the Phase I, specifically the Central Area has now been removed by the recent violations.
The plans are sold for some pecuniary gains, by those saddled with the authority for its protection. The prevailing situation is not that of administering Abuja lands but selling. All are worthless and vanities. Many have already gone. All interested land buyers must run away from any land traded, which is subject of green area violation. The Abuja Master plan is a legal document, and ignorant of the law in its development is never an excuse.
Those that were lured to buy the violated landsshould not make the costly mistake of sinking their money to develop, if they don’t have enough resources to fall back to, in the event of losing it. We believe there are many lands around Abuja which approvedland uses are compatible with their needs.
The risk in the development of lands that are incompatible with the approved uses in Abuja is too much. Most especially these green areas which many outcries were made. But, the perpetrators acting as predators would decide to be oblivious to the torrents of complains, because of the huge illicit money made at the expense of the buyers.
The usual and mischievous advice given by the perpetrators to their victims are, they should quickly get building plan approval and commence development before the end of their tenures. They are only insinuations, because it never works, development or not.
The land officers that proposed the land use violations and the development control officers that bent the rule to approve the application for building plan approval would certainly be on the firing line with subsequent regimes. We urge them to beware.
Concluded.
