The nation’s capital city is witnessing a new wave of insecurity and of recent, new dimensions. New things are unfolding. But thanks to the proactive consciousness of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is not leaving anything to chance in ensuring that the nation’s capital remains the safest. The Presidential directive to the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike and security agencies to think outside the box to restore confidence of the citizens is commendable.
Being the federal capital city, FCT had relied so much on the federal security structure for its security. This has not provided adequate safeguards for the people as alot needs to be done to expand the scope of Surveillance and intelligence for maximum results. In other states where federal security agencies also operate, there are local arrangements involving vigilante groups complimenting responsibility and in some areas, more effective. In almost all the 36 states of the nation, such local arrangements are so effective giving credence to the thoughts of using the structures for the much talked about state police. No wonder, its only in the FCT that the issue of state police is not talked about because of the heavy reliance on the federal security.
There is therefore the urgent need by the FCT administration to lay emphasis on other aspects of security such as the local vigilantes and hunters as successfully obtained in other states. Communities within the 6 area councils should be encouraged to have in place such local arrangements and structures for effective security coverage. This will go a long way in giving a better coverage due to the rising incidents of insecurity. In other states, the conventional security agencies work so closely with the local vigilantes and hunters who provides more concrete surveillance and intelligence information about the familiar nooks and crannies of their areas for intervention.
The FCT’s larger than though elitist image is not allowing the administration to see security as a local problem. Its understanding of it stems from the use of CCTV cameras and other technologically driven measures. But the truth is that only a small portion of the FCT is truly metropolitan such as Maitama and Wuse. 40 % of Asokoro is rural, Gwarinpa is only 50 % urban. Garki is half urban half village. With such realities on ground it is deceptive and misleading to see the FCT in a different light just because of the presence of the Aso Rock Villa, the large diplomatic areas and preponderance of high class business, political and social personalities.
The FCT minister, Wike should rejig the security concerns and perception of the capital city for better understanding and comprehension.
The new administration headed by Wike should change the narrative and the results will be superb. The local areas are where the criminals live and hide during the day to unleash terror on the people during the night. This is because they are not decimated enough by the huge security population which is mostly concentrated in the city centre.
Since Wike’s appointment, all the sleeping spirits around Abuja, good and bad have been woken up by the minister and each is anxiously waiting and looking for which direction the government will follow, especially on the implementation of the much talked about Abuja Master plan. The eyes of the public are mostly on demolitions of illegal structures with less attention on the expected intervention in the area of security.
Recall that the Abuja federal capital territory, FCT created around 1976 was to be developed in accordance with a well laid down master plan including security master plan. Abuja came into being following the relocation of the FCT from its former Lagos area to the new place as the former was becoming congested due to population growth amidst scarcity of space. Where there is congestion, insecurity will blossom. Lagos being an international commercial centre was expanding at a very fast speed and therefore the urgent need to find a new and possibly permanent location.
The idea was first mooted by the General Yakubu Gowon military administration. The new territory was to be strictly developed according to the well structured plan as a way of diligently avoiding the mistakes of Lagos so that there will be no need to begin to think of another FCT. Lagos, as an old trade city, was becoming uncontrolled in both physical and administrative way and therefore the need to start a new place since the old capital city cannot be expanded due to rising population and increase in commercial activities. The multidimensional master plan was to built structures, lay basic infrastructure and develop the carved and marked territorial areas carefully according to the well designed document. It was put together by a combination of relevant and related professional experts. But after the ouster of General Gowon whose government initiated the beautiful Abuja idea, his successor General Murtala Mohamed did not live long to continue the implementation of the plan.
The new military government of General Olusegun Obasanjo continued without any interest in the master plan, probably because, being a transition military junta, it was more concerned about handing over power to the civilians. When the second republic government of Shehu Shagari took over, it still stayed put in Lagos without giving any significant attention to the proposed new FCT until the government was removed after 4 years and 3 months through a coup on December 31st,1983 by General Muhammadu Buhari and his men. That commenced the gradual abandonment of the well thought- out beautiful Abuja master plan. First, the military did not only suspend all elected political structures at all levels of governance, but also suspended the beautiful idea of a new capital city. The new military government of Buhari was not bothered about relocating to Abuja because the visibility of military barracks gave the administration a satisfactory sense of security which was their main concern and not the physical development of the city.
The Abuja idea was therefore abandoned by his administration which also was later removed in a coup by his Chief of army staff, General Ibrahim Babangida after about two years in power. Babangida also did not pay serious attention to developing the new capital city but stayed put in Lagos until he was shakened by the Gideon Orka coup of 1991. Out of fear, IBB who was also reluctant in implementing the new capital city, moved overnight and committed huge resources to the development of the empty Abuja land spaces marked for the new nation’s capital.
That was the beginning of significant and serious attention towards the present day new Abuja city, the nation’s unity capital of Nigeria. IBB began massive development of structures concentrated around Garki, Wuse, Asokoro and Maitama districts, but of course, without recourse to any master plan. No bloody civilian dared remind him of a so called master plan that was out in place to advance the course of the proposed new capital city. That was the beginning to the impunity of negating the Abuja master plan which the country and its people are suffering till today and which has made it so difficult, if not impossible to fully correct, restore and return it to its original plan. IBB and his men single handedly selected the present State house location, popularly known as the Aso rock Villa situated behind the aso rock and embarked on the building of several military barracks and other formations surrounding his official residence as Head of state to ensure his security. Being a vacant territory, the thought of the IBB regime was to develop the city majorly in line with the government’s security plan and architecture.
Nevertheless, IBB did excellently well by providing most of the present road infrastructure and buildings within the city which are the most visible in Abuja today. In essence, the Aso rock villa, military barracks, and other major structures in Abuja today are all illegally erected structures put in place by IBB. When President Obasanjo returned to power as an elected President, he announced plans to continue the implementation of the Abuja master plan but did not carry on with the relocation, resettlement and compensation of the indigenous population and allow space for development.
At that time, the total projected budget was five hundred billion naira( #500 billion) which would have addressed the laying of a strong foundation and immediate review of the entire master plan from the distortions of the IBB, Abacha up to Abdulsalami era. Obasanjo tried in his second term to correct the master plan, but was more concerned about the demolition of illegal structures instead of a wholistic approach. Up till this material moment, areas in Garki, Asokoro, Maitama, Mabushi, etc arenyetnto be resettled or relocated. If Obasanjo had given adequate attention to reviewing the plan to accomodating some aspects and settling the issues of relocation, resettlement and compensation, the distortion would not have been this much. The Yar’Adua/ Jonathan era was so concerned about the people that they couldn’t continue with demolition as a way of correcting the masterplan.
The two gentle leaders believe that better and more humane approach be given the whole issue so as to reduce the human suffering especially that we are in a democracy. Many people took that for granted and recklessly continued with deliberate violations of the master plan. Land speculations, abuse of land use, building without approvals and erecting structures outside specificied regulations became the order of the day . When Buhari returned as elected President, the situation became worst as his government seems not aware of the document called the Abuja master plan. He departed woefully from the norms by appointing an FCT minister who served for an exceptional 8 years without saying a word on the master plan. Mohamed Bello became the worst FCT minister in history, who was more of a confused traffic warden allowing vehicular movements and drivers to control themselves by themselves. He was more concern about traditions and completion of some few ongoing projects not minding whether they were illegally started or done in line with the master plan.
The coming on board of Wike is a bell sound that is expected to strategically move the FCT to a new and better narratives in all areas of endeavour, including security.
Wike must design a new security Masterplan for the FCT commensurate with other aspects of the city’s development. When Wike announced plans to remove all illegal structures that were not built according to the master plan, security concerns should also be paramount because since maby will be affected economically, insecurity will be the consequence. Many have expected the minister to talk about reviewing the master plan which will consist of not only demolition of some obvious despicable misdemeanors, but also accommodating some breaches to avoid excessive economic loses that breeds insecurity especially in times like this
Wike’s capacity to make a difference as FCT minister is not in doubt at all. He is an action man any day anytime. He has the capacity to return normalcy and add value to the concept of the master plan. But security concerns must dominate the mindset of the administration.
He can do well and better by taking his time to study the original master plan, observe and identify areas of breaches, the extent of distortions and what can be done to correct, improve, accommodate, strengthen, remove, and put in place a realistic balance between what was expected and where we have found ourselves today. Alot of mistakes have been done, some deliberately and some ignorantly. Adequate sensitization and awareness be created about the issues to avoid misrepresentations and political propaganda on the matter. This will go along way to help the people understand his direction as a minister in charge of the FCT. The arduous work in the new FCT is not just about demolition of illegal structures, but also of providing adequate security, accommodating what can no longer be changed and accepting to move forward with contemporary realities in mind.
Serious attention should be given to security of both the urban and suburban settlements. This is the only way by which the nation’s city capital can be assessed properly using all indices of development.
