By Emmanuel Onyedika
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has directed the immediate demolition of houses and structures obstructing designated waterways in Maitama and other flood-prone areas of Abuja.
Wike gave the order on Tuesday after inspecting areas affected by recent flooding, stressing that enforcement would begin immediately and continue until Saturday, regardless of political activities or the status of property owners. “We will demolish all those houses found on the water channel, some of them are senators, some of them are big men. 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,” he said.
The minister noted that the flooding exposed human activities contributing to the crisis, including construction on waterways, blocked drainage channels, and indiscriminate dumping of refuse. He lamented that some property owners had deliberately obstructed stormwater passages designated in the Abuja Master Plan.
“Unfortunately, we have gone there, and we have seen how people have blocked channels where, in the Master Plan, that is the right way where the water is supposed to be channelled,” Wike explained.
He insisted that most of the affected buildings were owned by wealthy Nigerians and had existed for years, but stressed that social status would not shield anyone from enforcement. “All those built-up areas that were not supposed to be built up, not a single poor person will live there. Those houses are houses built by well-to-do Nigerians,” he said.
Wike suggested that previous administrations lacked the political will to enforce regulations, but vowed that the current government would act decisively. “And let nobody make the mistake that this government lacks the political will to do anything, the person must be making a very big mistake. If there is one minister that has that political will, I have, and I have the political will,” he declared.
The directive signals a tougher stance on urban planning violations in Abuja, with the minister promising strict enforcement to prevent future flooding disasters.