I Warned Over Abuja Flooding But Wike Ignored – Kingibe Says

Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Ireti Kingibe, said she repeatedly raised concerns over flooding and blocked drainage channels in Abuja before the latest deluge.

Residents of the FCT were left stranded on Saturday after heavy rainfall triggered flooding that submerged vehicles and affected several parts of the nation’s capital.

Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time, Kingibe said her concerns about the risk of flooding, which she raised with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, were ignored.

The senator said she had always advocated cooperation between elected officials and ministers, regardless of their political affiliations, in the interest of Abuja residents.

Kingibe said she had raised concerns about the erosion of green areas and the potential for flooding as far back as December, adding that she had also complained about the issue about a year earlier.

She said that when she first assumed office, she contacted the head of development control to draw attention to the situation.

According to the lawmaker, her concerns were based on her professional background as an engineer and observations of the state of drainage infrastructure across the FCT.

Kingibe recalled that Lugbe experienced severe flooding shortly after she became a senator, and she found houses built inside some flood channels.

She stressed that her criticism was not directed personally at Wike but was part of her responsibility to address issues affecting her constituents.

The senator said she deliberately reduced her public criticism of the minister in an effort to encourage cooperation, but added that the approach had not produced the desired result.

Kingibe also disclosed that she wrote to the Federal Capital Development Authority, seeking an explanation of what it intended to do about flooding and related infrastructure challenges in the capital.

She said her letter did not prescribe specific measures, such as auditing drainage infrastructure or demolishing structures, but asked the agency to identify the problems and outline the immediate steps it planned to take.

Kingibe said she expected the FCDA to respond to her correspondence, unlike the FCT minister, whom she accused of failing to respond to her letters.

She maintained that the issue was about the welfare of Abuja residents who elected her to represent them.

The senator also said the Senate Committee on the FCT has a responsibility to exercise oversight over agencies responsible for the administration and development of the nation’s capital.

She said the committee should be prepared to question officials over issues affecting residents if the relevant agencies fail to respond to her concerns.