ABUJA — Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike on Tuesday morning visited areas affected by weekend flooding in Maitama, where he uncovered a structure built on a designated drainage channel that had been revoked over a decade ago .
CDA News Nigeria gathered that during the inspection, Wike toured a site bearing a sign reading: “DRAINAGE AREA KEEP OFF! NOTE – PLOT 4508 A06 REVOKED (22/12/2011) DUE TO OVERRIDING PUBLIC INTEREST. F.C.T.” . The visit comes after residents and critics pointed to blocked waterways and construction on green areas as aggravating factors in flooding that submerged vehicles and disrupted movement across the capital following heavy rainfall on Saturday .
CDA News Nigeria reports that Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications, Lere Olayinka, who shared video footage of the inspection, defended the FCT Administration, insisting that flooding in Abuja predates the minister’s tenure . He cited flooding incidents in parts of Wuse, Jabi, and Lokogoma in 2019, as well as similar occurrences in 2022 .
Olayinka attributed some of the challenges to the rapid expansion of the Federal Capital Territory, adding that drainage infrastructure and enforcement of planning regulations had not kept pace with the city’s growth . He also blamed the removal of drainage covers by scavengers, which exposed channels to refuse . The FCT Administration is reviewing the 1979 Abuja Master Plan and installing more theft-resistant drainage covers .
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