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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has ordered the immediate demolition of buildings obstructing waterways in Maitama and other flood-prone parts of Abuja following the recent flooding in the capital city.
Wike gave the directive on Tuesday after inspecting flood-affected areas in Maitama, saying the exercise would begin immediately and continue until Saturday, regardless of the political status of those affected.
He declared that all structures found to have been built on designated water channels would be removed, insisting that no individual would be spared.
"We will demolish all those houses found on the water channel. Some of them are senators. Some of them are big men," the minister said.
“Whether there's election or there's no election, all those houses will go down. Heaven will not fall. Rather, heaven will be at peace that the right thing has been done.”
Wike said the flooding exposed years of violations of the Abuja Master Plan, including the construction of buildings on waterways, blocked drainage channels, indiscriminate dumping of refuse and poor supervision by relevant authorities.
He said inspections revealed that some property owners deliberately built on channels originally designated for stormwater drainage.
According to him, the affected buildings have existed for several years and are mostly owned by wealthy Nigerians.
"Those houses are not houses that were built last week. Those houses have been there 10 years ago, eight years ago," he said.
The minister blamed previous administrations for failing to enforce development regulations but maintained that the current FCT Administration had the political will to correct the anomalies.
"If there is one minister that has that political will, I have," Wike declared.
He dismissed attempts to politicise the flooding, noting that floods occur in many cities around the world and that climate change has contributed to the increasing intensity of rainfall.
However, he stressed that human activities such as illegal construction, blocked drainage systems and indiscriminate waste disposal had worsened the situation in Abuja.
Wike directed the relevant FCT agencies to immediately begin desilting blocked drainage channels and appealed to residents to stop dumping refuse into waterways.
He also dismissed criticism from political commentators, insisting that his administration would remain focused on addressing challenges in the nation's capital.
According to him, the FCT Administration has recorded significant achievements over the past three years, although it continues to address existing problems.
The minister said the administration had signed 26,272 Certificates of Occupancy within three years, compared to about 7,000 issued by two previous administrations over 13 years.
He warned that the demolition exercise would not be suspended because of the political season, directing the Development Control Department to ensure prompt enforcement.
Wike also condemned the conversion of designated green areas into residential and commercial developments, vowing to restore compliance with the Abuja Master Plan.
He assured residents that the administration would continue to enforce planning regulations and address environmental challenges in the interest of public safety.
