WIKE INSPECTS FLOOD-HIT FCT COMMUNITIES, DISCOVERS ILLEGAL BUILDING ON REVOKED WATERWAY

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By:Tajudeen Aminat

FCT Minister Nyesom Wike on Tuesday inspected areas affected by the weekend flooding in Maitama, Abuja, where he discovered a structure allegedly built on a drainage corridor whose allocation had been revoked years ago.

Wike visited the affected locations to assess the impact of the heavy rainfall that caused flooding in parts of the Federal Capital Territory.

During the inspection, the minister examined a designated drainage area where a structure had reportedly been erected despite the revocation of the plot in 2011.

The Senior Special Assistant to the minister on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, shared footage of the inspection on X, stating that the site had initially been allocated but was later revoked in the public interest.

“FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, visited some of the flooded areas in Maitama, Abuja, this morning.

“The spot here is a Drainage Area. It was allocated, but REVOKED in 2011. Structure was built on it,” Olayinka wrote.

A sign at the location identified the area as a drainage corridor and warned against development. It indicated that Plot 4508 A06 had been revoked on December 22, 2011, due to overriding public interest.

The inspection followed growing concerns over the factors responsible for flooding in Abuja, particularly after heavy rainfall on Saturday caused flooding in several parts of the capital.

Residents and critics have cited blocked waterways, development on designated green areas and inadequate drainage infrastructure as factors contributing to the flooding.

Meanwhile, Olayinka had earlier defended the FCT Administration against criticism over the flooding, arguing that flooding in Abuja predated Wike’s tenure as minister.

In a statement issued on Monday, he said the heavy rainfall resulted in temporary flooding in some areas, with the water subsequently receding.

He also criticised activist Deji Adeyanju for blaming Wike for the incident, accusing him of politicising the flooding.

Olayinka cited previous flooding incidents in areas including Wuse, Jabi and Lokogoma in 2019, as well as Lokogoma, Efab Estate, Gudu and adjoining bridges in 2022.

According to him, the rapid expansion of the FCT had placed pressure on existing drainage infrastructure, waste management systems and enforcement of development regulations.

He also blamed the removal of drainage covers by scavengers, saying the practice had contributed to the blockage of drainage channels with refuse.

Olayinka said the FCT Administration was reviewing the 1979 Abuja Master Plan to align it with the capital’s current realities.

He added that the administration had commenced the installation of drainage covers designed to make them more difficult for scavengers to remove.