FCT Minister says structures built on designated water channels will be removed regardless of owners’ status, while ordering immediate drainage desilting across flood-prone areas.

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

Wike gave the directive on Tuesday after inspecting areas affected by recent flooding in the Maitama district, where he said the government had identified several structures and human activities contributing to the worsening flood situation in the nation’s capital.

According to the minister, demolition of buildings found to have been constructed on designated water channels will begin immediately and continue through Saturday.

He stressed that the enforcement would not be influenced by the political status, wealth or connections of property owners, warning that no individual would be exempt from the exercise.

“We will demolish all those houses found on the water channel. Some of them are senators. Some of them are big men,” Wike 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.”

Wealthy property owners not exempt

Wike said inspections conducted after the flooding showed that some property owners had built on areas reserved under the Abuja Master Plan for stormwater channels.

He expressed concern that many of the affected properties belonged to wealthy Nigerians and had remained in place for several years without enforcement action.

“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,” he said.

The minister noted that some of the structures had been standing for between eight and 10 years, suggesting that the problem was not the result of recent developments alone.

“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.

“Those houses are not houses that were built last week. Those houses have been there 10 years ago, eight years ago.”

Wike said previous administrations may have lacked the political will to enforce planning regulations, while some officials may also have failed to carry out their responsibilities.

He, however, insisted that the current FCT Administration was prepared to take difficult decisions in the interest of public safety.

“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,” he said.

“If there is one minister that has that political will, I have. I have the political will.”

Wike identifies causes of Abuja flooding

The minister said the recent flooding should not be attributed solely to heavy rainfall or climate change, arguing that human activities had significantly worsened the situation.

He identified the construction of buildings on waterways, development in areas not approved for construction, blocked drainage systems, indiscriminate waste disposal and inadequate desilting as some of the major factors responsible for flooding in Abuja.

Wike acknowledged that climate change had contributed to increasingly intense rainfall but said the government could not ignore avoidable human factors.

“Flood could be a natural disaster,” he said, citing flooding incidents in cities including Dubai, the United States and the United Kingdom.

“We are in a climate change period. The kind of rains we have experienced, or we are experiencing now, we have not experienced before. But that is not that there are no man-made factors. There are.”

He said the inspection of affected locations had exposed instances where waterways provided for in Abuja’s planning documents had been blocked by developments.

Immediate drainage desilting ordered

Beyond the demolition exercise, Wike directed relevant FCT authorities to immediately begin desilting drainage channels identified as contributing to flooding.

“The facility management is not here. Director is not here. Yes, we have to immediately start desilting some of the areas we have identified,” he said.

He also appealed to residents, traders and other members of the public to stop dumping refuse into drainage channels, warning that such practices could worsen flooding and endanger communities.

‘Any house on the water channel will go down’

Wike rejected suggestions that the demolition exercise could be delayed because of ongoing political activities or the approaching election season.

He maintained that enforcement of development regulations was a responsibility of government and should not be suspended for political reasons.

“Now you have done your own by blocking the water channel and nothing has happened. Thank God the flood has come. It has drawn our attention to the place. Now something will happen,” he said.

“I’m going to bring those houses down. Any house that’s found on the water channel will go down.”

The minister specifically directed the FCT Development Control Department to commence enforcement without delay.

“From today to Saturday, if Development Control delay, let them find any excuse to run away. They cannot,” Wike warned.

Minister rejects politicisation of flooding

Wike also dismissed criticism from political commentators over the flooding and the FCT Administration’s response.

He said he would not allow political arguments to distract the government from addressing problems affecting residents.

“I don't want to reply to political commentators. I don't want to reply to people who think that appearing on TV, in their houses, will give them an edge to win an election that they have lost. No,” he said.

The minister defended the record of the FCT Administration over the past three years, saying the government had made significant progress while acknowledging that several challenges remained.

“Nobody can diminish what this administration has done in the past three years. Nobody can diminish it,” he said.

“This administration has done very well as far as the Federal Capital Territory is concerned. That does not mean that I can claim that it has solved all problems, no. Are there problems? Yes. Have they solved major problems? Yes. Will they continue to solve problems? Yes.”

Wike defends record on land documents

The minister also cited the administration’s performance in the issuance of Certificates of Occupancy as part of its achievements.

According to him, 26,272 Certificates of Occupancy have been signed over the past three years, compared with about 7,000 issued by two previous administrations over a combined period of 13 years.

He urged critics to assess the FCT Administration based on its overall performance rather than use the flooding incident alone to discredit its work.

Wike further rejected suggestions that the planned demolitions could be politically motivated, insisting that developments that violate Abuja’s planning regulations must be addressed regardless of who owns them or when they were constructed.

Green areas also targeted for protection

The minister also expressed concern over the conversion of designated green areas in Abuja for other uses.

He said the FCT Administration would continue to protect the capital’s environmental assets and enforce planning regulations, regardless of how long illegal developments had existed.

“Something that was done wrongly will not be corrected? No, we will not allow that. We won’t,” he said.

Wike said the administration’s focus remained on addressing practical problems affecting residents rather than engaging in political disputes.

“My interest is we’ll continue to do the right thing in FCT, where no one will stop,” he said.