Wike Inspects Flood-Hit Maitama, Discovers Structure 0n Revoked Drainage Plot 

Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday inspected areas affected by the weekend flooding in Maitama, Abuja, including a drainage corridor where a structure was reportedly built despite the plot being revoked more than a decade ago.

Wike, accompanied by officials of the FCT Administration, visited the affected locations as concerns continued to mount over the causes of flooding in parts of the nation’s capital following heavy rainfall on Saturday.

The minister inspected a designated drainage area where a structure had been erected on a plot revoked in 2011.

Lere Olayinka, the minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, shared footage of the inspection on X, identifying the location as a drainage area that had previously been allocated but subsequently revoked.

“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 warned against construction on the site and stated: “DRAINAGE AREA KEEP OFF! NOTE – PLOT 4508 A06 REVOKED (22/12/2011) DUE TO OVERRIDING PUBLIC INTEREST. F.C.T.”

The inspection comes amid growing public debate over the factors responsible for flooding in Maitama and other parts of Abuja.

Residents and critics have cited blocked waterways, construction on drainage corridors and green areas, as well as inadequate drainage infrastructure, among the factors worsening the impact of heavy rainfall.

However, the FCT Administration has pushed back against criticism linking the flooding solely to the current administration.

LEADERSHIP reports that Olayinka, in a statement on Monday, argued that flooding was not a new occurrence in Abuja and predated Wike’s assumption of office. He also accused activist Deji Adeyanju of politicising the incident by blaming the minister for the flooding.

Olayinka said the heavy rainfall caused temporary flooding in some parts of the city, with the water later receding.

He cited previous flooding incidents in 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 has created challenges for infrastructure, waste management and enforcement of town planning regulations, with existing drainage systems struggling to keep pace with the city’s growth.

He also attributed some drainage problems to the activities of scavengers who allegedly remove drainage covers, leaving the channels exposed to refuse and other debris.

Olayinka said the FCT Administration was taking steps to address the challenges, including a review of the 1979 Abuja Master Plan to reflect the capital’s current realities.

He added that the administration had begun installing drainage covers designed to make them more difficult for scavengers to remove.