Former spokesman for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the South-East, Denge Josef Onoh, has called for an independent investigation into the recurring flooding in Abuja, insisting that the controversy between Senator Ireti Kingibe and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, must not be allowed to obscure the deeper failures of urban planning, land administration and enforcement in the nation’s capital.
Onoh said the recent flooding, particularly the devastating rainfall witnessed in parts of Abuja, should serve as a wake-up call to the Federal Capital Territory Administration and all institutions responsible for planning and development control.
Onoh said he speaks from vast experience in urban planning and enforcement having been a two time executive chairman of Enugu State Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA) which ranks as a top-tier urban management agency in Nigeria, and under his tenure in office was widely recognized for transforming Enugu into one of the country’s most structurally organized and economically resilient capital territories.
‘And during my two term appointment in office, verifiable data from the BudgIT’s State of States Report, Enugu State capital territory leads Nigeria in the ability to fund its operating expenses internally. ECTDA’s digitization of property enforcement and building approvals directly drove Enugu state’s ranking as Nigeria’s least dependent on FAAC allocations.’
‘So I have the professional first hand experience and knowledge of the environmental erosion disaster happening in Abuja and I warned the government many months ago that Abuja residents will soon start using boats and my warning has come to pass.’
He said Abuja was deliberately designed with drainage corridors, waterways, floodplains, green areas and environmental buffers to protect the city from uncontrolled flooding and preserve the natural movement of stormwater.
According to him, the rapid expansion of Abuja, coupled with questionable developments, encroachment on environmentally sensitive areas, blocked drainage channels and inadequate enforcement of planning regulations, requires an urgent institutional response.
‘The argument over whether Wike or Kingibe is right is secondary. The fundamental question Nigerians are asking is: who approved these buildings on waterways, floodplains and drainage corridors, and who allowed them to remain there?’
‘If the structures are illegal today, they did not appear overnight. Somebody allocated the land, somebody processed the plans, somebody inspected the construction and somebody failed to stop it.
‘Demolition is necessary where structures are obstructing waterways, but demolition alone cannot constitute accountability. Nigerians deserve to know how these structures received approval in the first place and whether those responsible will face sanctions.’
Onoh’s position follows Senator Ireti Kingibe’s criticism of the FCT Administration over what she described as failures to adequately address warnings concerning blocked drainage channels and developments on green areas, floodplains and waterways.
Kingibe has argued that the destruction or conversion of areas originally designed to accommodate floodwater has contributed to Abuja’s vulnerability.
Minister Wike, however, has rejected responsibility for the flooding, pointing to illegal construction on waterways, indiscriminate dumping of refuse and the effects of climate change.
Onoh said both positions contain elements that deserve consideration but cautioned against turning a serious environmental and urban-planning crisis into a political blame game.
‘Residents who throw refuse into drains must stop. There is no justification for indiscriminate dumping of waste. But government cannot transfer its responsibility for land administration, building approvals, drainage infrastructure and enforcement to ordinary residents.
‘Likewise, climate change is a reality. But climate change does not issue building approvals. Climate change does not allocate land on waterways. Climate change does not construct buildings inside drainage corridors.
‘Those are human decisions, and where human decisions create avoidable risks, there must be accountability.’
Onoh therefore called on the FCT Administration to commission an independent and comprehensive flood-risk audit of Abuja, involving qualified hydrologists, environmental experts, urban planners, engineers and other relevant professionals.
He said the exercise should produce a publicly accessible map identifying major floodplains, waterways, drainage corridors, green areas and locations where development has obstructed natural water channels.
He also called for a comprehensive review of land allocations and building approvals in flood-prone locations.
‘Every approval for development on or around a waterway should be examined. Where an official acted improperly, that official should be held accountable. Where a developer violated planning regulations, the law should take its course.
‘Accountability cannot stop at the bulldozer. It must extend to the desk where the approval was signed.’
Onoh further urged the FCT Administration to: Immediately identify and clear major drainage channels and waterways obstructed by illegal structures and refuse; Conduct a comprehensive audit of land allocations and building approvals in flood-prone areas; Investigate officials involved in approving developments on waterways and drainage corridors.
He also asked the authority to protect Abuja’s remaining green spaces, floodplains and environmental buffers from further encroachment; Expand and modernise drainage infrastructure to correspond with Abuja’s population growth and rapid urbanisation; Strengthen waste-management systems and enforce existing laws against indiscriminate dumping.
He also asked for the develop a long-term Abuja Flood Resilience Plan based on scientific flood modelling and climate projections.
The former presidential spokesman said Abuja’s original master plan must not become merely a historical document referenced whenever flooding occurs.