The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike has directed the FCT Department of Development Control to immediately demolish all structures built on water channels and right-of-way zones across the territory.
Mr Wike, who gave the directive while briefing newsmen after inspecting the flood-affected areas on Tuesday in the high-brow Maitama District, Abuja, declared that “no big man or senator will be spared”.
Mr Wike stated that the recent flooding in parts of the nation’s capital was heavily aggravated by man-made factors, particularly illegal developments blocking natural drainage channels.
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“We have gone there, and we have seen how people have blocked channels where in the master plan, that is the right-of-way where water is supposed to be channeled.
“People, by their positions, have blocked it, believing that nothing will happen. I have told people this in life, that nothing happened yesterday does not mean that something will not happen today.
“Now you have done your own by blocking the water channel, and nothing has happened. Thank God the flood has come and have drawn our attention to the place; now something will happen. I’m going to bring those houses down.
“Any house found on the water channel will go down. From today to Saturday, let the Development Control not find any excuse —they cannot,” Wike declared.
He noted that when the demolition commenced, people would complain that the timing was wrong because of campaigns for 2027 elections.
“The next thing you’ll hear is ‘oh, why is he doing this during election period?’ ‘It’s politics. Let us finish the election.’ All those houses will go down.
“Some of the owners of those houses are senators, some of them are big men. Heaven will not fall; rather, heaven will be at peace that the right thing has been done,” he said.
The minister rejected attempts by critics to frame the administration’s response as a failure of governance or a political vendetta.
He emphasised that flooding is a global issue driven by climate change that affects even developed nations like the United States, England, and Dubai.
He also identified man-made causes through illegal developments, unauthorised conversion of public green areas into commercial parks and indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drainage manholes.
He equally pointed at people or government officials not carrying out their functions by desilting the drainages as another man-made problem.
“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 pointed out the illegal structures obstructing the waterways were not erected by the poor, but by high-net-worth individuals allowed by previous administrations that lacked the political courage to enforce the Abuja Master Plan.
“Those houses are houses built by well-to-do Nigerians; those houses are not houses that are built in hours; 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.
Wike denied claims that the current administration allocated water channel pathways to developers, challenging accusers to produce verifiable evidence and building approvals.
He declined to engage the critics, stating that he would not waste energy replying to political commentators on television channels who aim to politicise natural disasters.
“I don’t want to reply to people who think that appearing on television stations will give them an edge to win an election that they have lost. No.
“Nobody can diminish what this administration has done in the past three years. This administration has done very well as far as the FCT is concerned.
“I cannot claim that we have solved all problems. No, but have we solved some problems? Yes. Have we solved major problems? Yes. Will we continue to solve problems? Yes.