The Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has said that his administration had commenced the review of Abuja’s 1979 Master Plan as part of measures towards tackling the recurring flooding in the nation’s capital.
Speaking through his Media aide, Lere Olayinka said that the issue of flooding has remained one of the challenges that the government has been working to tackle.
He said: “To address this, the FCT Administration is already reviewing the 1979 Abuja Master Plan to accommodate the new realities of the capital city”.
This reaction also came on the heels of a barrage of criticism against the FCT Minister, following the flooding witnessed over the weekend in many of the highbrow areas of the city.
“Sad reality is that Abuja has been witnessing floods long before Wike assumed office.
“In 2019, heavy rainfall flooded sections of Wuse, Jabi and Lokogoma. In 2022, the same pattern returned: Lokogoma district, Efab Estate, Gudu axis and connecting bridges were overwhelmed.
“Therefore, the flood witnessed last Saturday was another reminder of the seasonal reality of a rapidly expanding city with drainage infrastructure, waste management and enforcement of planning rules not keeping pace with growth.
“It is also a pointer to damages being caused by scavengers who are daily stealing drainage covers, thereby exposing the drainage to refuse”.
