Wike Orders Demolition of Houses Blocking Waterways

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has ordered the immediate demolition of buildings found to be obstructing designated waterways in Maitama and other flood-prone parts of Abuja following recent flooding in the capital.

Wike gave the directive on Tuesday after inspecting areas affected by the flooding in Maitama. He ordered the FCT Development Control Department to begin removing structures built on approved water channels and continue the exercise through Saturday.

The minister said the enforcement would apply to every property found to be blocking waterways, regardless of who owns the building or the person’s political or social position.

According to Wike, recent flooding in parts of Abuja has exposed several human activities that have made the situation worse. These include building on waterways, blocking drainage systems, dumping waste into gutters and failing to maintain and clear drainage channels.

He said inspections carried out by the FCT Administration showed that some buildings had been constructed directly on routes identified in the Abuja Master Plan for the movement of stormwater.

Wike noted that many of the affected properties belonged to wealthy Nigerians and had existed for several years. He said the age or ownership of a building would not prevent the government from enforcing planning laws where the structure was found to be illegally located.

The minister also said some of the affected developments may have remained in place because previous administrations did not take strong action against them. He added that some officials may also have failed to properly monitor development and enforce planning regulations.

He maintained that his administration had the authority and determination to address the problem and would not allow political considerations to stop enforcement.

Wike also said flooding should not be viewed entirely as a political issue. He explained that heavy rainfall and climate change were natural factors affecting cities around the world, but human activities could also make flooding worse.

According to him, the volume and intensity of recent rainfall in Abuja have been unusual. However, he said the situation had been made worse in some areas by development on waterways, poor drainage maintenance and the improper disposal of waste.

The minister therefore directed relevant FCT agencies to immediately begin clearing and desilting drainage channels identified as needing attention.

He also appealed to residents, traders and businesses to stop throwing refuse into drainage systems, warning that blocked channels could prevent rainwater from flowing freely and increase the risk of flooding.

Wike rejected suggestions that the planned demolition was politically motivated because of the current political season. He said development control enforcement should continue regardless of elections or other political activities.

He said the flooding had helped draw attention to buildings and developments that had blocked natural water routes and that the government would now act against such structures.

The minister further directed the Development Control Department not to delay the demolition process. He said officials who failed to carry out the directive could face consequences.

Wike also addressed the issue of green areas in Abuja, saying the FCT Administration would continue to protect spaces that were reserved for environmental purposes. He warned that areas approved as green zones should not be converted for unauthorised development.

The minister said structures that were wrongly built in the past could still be removed if they continued to violate planning rules. He argued that the length of time an illegal structure had existed did not make the development lawful.

He also defended the performance of the current FCT Administration, saying the government had made progress in several areas during the past three years while admitting that challenges remained.

Wike pointed to the issuance of Certificates of Occupancy as one area where he said the administration had recorded progress. He said 26,272 Certificates of Occupancy had been signed within three years, compared with about 7,000 issued by two previous administrations over a period of 13 years.

He urged residents to judge the administration by its overall work and not only by the challenges exposed by the recent flooding.

The minister said the FCT Administration would continue to respond to problems affecting residents and would consider genuine concerns raised by communities.

He maintained that the immediate priority was to restore proper drainage routes, remove structures obstructing waterways and ensure that Abuja’s development follows approved planning rules.