The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has suspended a director in the Federal Capital Territory Administration over the issuance of unauthorised temporary approvals for commercial activities on designated green areas.
Wike disclosed the suspension on Wednesday while speaking during a media parley.
He said the affected director was disciplined under the civil service rules after being found to have approved activities on areas reserved as green zones.
The minister did not disclose the name of the director.
However, he made it clear that the FCTA would no longer tolerate actions by its officials that undermine the Abuja Master Plan or encourage illegal development.
According to Wike, the disciplinary action is part of wider steps being taken by the FCT Administration following the recent flooding recorded in different parts of Abuja.
He said the administration was particularly concerned about development around waterways, drainage corridors and green areas, which are intended to remain free from structures that could obstruct the natural movement of water.
Wike also disclosed that another official had been sanctioned for allegedly reallocating park land under the excuse of carrying out security-related activities.
The minister said the development showed that enforcement would not be restricted to property owners and developers alone.
Officials found to have facilitated or enabled illegal development would also face consequences.
His comments come amid renewed scrutiny of flooding in Abuja, particularly around the Airport Road axis, Lugbe and Lokogoma.
Recent heavy rainfall caused flooding in several parts of the Federal Capital Territory, with residents raising concerns about blocked drainage channels and construction around waterways.
The situation had already triggered a political dispute, with FCT Senator Ireti Kingibe accusing developments around green areas and natural drainage channels of worsening the flooding situation.
Wike, however, has rejected the suggestion that the flooding was solely the result of developments approved by his administration.
He has maintained that some affected areas, including Lokogoma, have experienced flooding for years.
The minister had earlier ordered the demolition of structures found to be obstructing waterways in parts of Abuja.
He also warned that the enforcement exercise would continue regardless of the political connections or status of the owners of affected properties.
On Wednesday, Wike said the FCTA was now also looking inward to determine whether officials were contributing to the problem by granting approvals that should not have been issued.
He explained that the suspended director issued what he described as temporary approvals to commercial operators on green areas.
Such approvals, he said, could not be allowed to stand because government policy does not permit commercial development on designated green zones.
Wike said the administration had intensified its monitoring of development activities following the flooding incidents and would take action wherever violations of the Abuja Master Plan were discovered.
He also confirmed that a task force had been dispatched to inspect communities affected by the flooding.
The team is being led by the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority, alongside the Director of Development Control.
The officials were directed to inspect affected locations, identify the causes of the flooding and determine whether human activities had contributed to the situation.
Wike said the inspection was not limited to the Airport Road corridor. Lokogoma and other affected communities were also included in the assessment.
“When I heard of the incident, the executive secretary of the FCDA and the director, Development Control had to go to the place, not only at the airport road but also in Lokogoma.
“The one that is man-made, we can solve the problem; the one that is natural, there is nothing we can do—it becomes a natural disaster. So, it’s something that we have to investigate”, he said.
The minister further explained that preliminary findings had pointed to years of violations of the Abuja Master Plan in some parts of the affected communities.
He specifically mentioned Lugbe, where he said buildings had been erected without proper approvals and some spaces meant for roads and other public infrastructure had been obstructed.
“From our studies, Lugbe has always been violating the Abuja masterplan… All over the years, you see people building without approval and blocking where is supposed to be a roadway. As an administration, we are not taking it lightly,” he said.
Wike also addressed the argument that some of the structures facing possible demolition were built with government approvals.
He maintained that an approval could not be used to justify development in a location where government policy prohibited construction.
The minister said some approvals could have been obtained through influence, but insisted that such documents would not protect structures built in prohibited areas.
“You got approval to do something wrong, sometimes, it’s under influence. Government policy is that nobody should do anything on green areas. Now you go with the spirit that nothing will happen, and then when we come to enforce, you say you have approval. It is not going to be accepted,” he said.
In a related development, Politics Nigeria had earlier reported that Wike ordered the immediate demolition of houses and other structures found to be blocking waterways in flood-prone parts of Abuja.
The directive followed his inspection of flood-affected areas in Maitama, where the minister said structures obstructing drainage channels would not be allowed to remain.
Wike had also dismissed claims that the administration was deliberately allocating waterways to politicians or other influential individuals for development, insisting that the Abuja Master Plan would guide decisions on what constitutes a protected water channel or development area.
