Abuja flood: Wike orders immediate demolition of houses built on waterways

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has ordered the immediate demolition of houses built on designated waterways in Abuja

Wike gave the directive on Tuesday after inspecting areas affected by flooding in Maitama and other parts of the Federal Capital Territory.

He said the demolition would begin immediately and continue until Saturday, stressing that the exercise would not be stopped because of political activities or the status of the owners of the affected properties.

According to the minister, several buildings had been constructed on waterways mapped out in the Abuja Master Plan for the movement of stormwater.

“We will pull down every house built on the water channels, regardless of who owns them. Some of the affected properties belong to senators and other influential people, but the law will apply to everyone,” Wike said.

“The major factors worsening flooding in Abuja include buildings constructed on waterways, blocked drainage channels, indiscriminate dumping of refuse and the failure to properly maintain and desilt drainage systems,” he added.

The minister said an inspection of some affected areas showed that property owners had blocked channels that were originally provided in the Abuja Master Plan to allow water to flow.

“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,

“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.

The minister said some of the illegal developments had been in place for between eight and 10 years, suggesting that previous administrations may not have had enough political will to enforce the regulations.

He, however, insisted that the current FCT Administration was prepared to take action.

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