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FCTA To Investigate Airport Road, Lokogoma Flooding

by admin on | 2026-09-03 11:21:25

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FCTA To Investigate Airport Road, Lokogoma Flooding

By Abdullahi Muhammad

Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has launched an investigation into the recent severe flooding along the Airport Road axis and in Lokogoma District to determine the root causes and implement lasting solutions.

Speaking during a media chat, the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, revealed that a high-level task force led by the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and the Director of Development Control was immediately dispatched to conduct on-the-ground assessments across affected communities, including Lugbe and Lokogoma.

“When I heard of the incident, the Executive Secretary of the FCDA and the Director of 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 natural one, there is nothing we can do—it becomes a natural disaster. So, it’s something that we have to investigate,” the Minister stated

While acknowledging that recent torrential downpours in the nation’s capital have reached unprecedented levels, the Minister stressed that preliminary findings point to long-standing violations of the FCT master plan, where structures have been erected across natural waterways and designated road corridors without valid approvals.

He vowed that the administration would take all necessary steps to correct abuses of the Abuja master plan along the Airport Road axis and would not hesitate to demolish any structure found along waterways.

According to him, “From our studies, Lugbe has always been violating the Abuja master plan… All over the years, you see people building without approval and blocking where it is supposed to be a roadway, as an administration, we are not taking it lightly.”

Beyond structural enforcement, the Minister disclosed that the FCTA is also taking stern administrative action against officials within the administration who facilitate illegal encroachments into green areas and waterways.

He revealed that a government director was recently suspended under civil service rules for issuing unauthorised “temporary approvals” to commercial operators on designated green zones, while another official faced disciplinary sanctions for illegally reallocating park lands under the guise of security clearing.

On allegations that some of the structures marked for demolition had received prior government approvals, the Minister reiterated that illegal approvals obtained through undue influence would not serve as a shield against enforcement.

“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 clarified.

Speaking on infrastructure delivery in the FCT, the Minister reassured residents that all ongoing projects awarded under the current administration, alongside inherited legacy projects, would be completed before the expiration of the administration’s tenure.

He noted that out of 107 road projects awarded by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the FCT, 76 had already been completed, with 10 more scheduled for completion ahead of upcoming elections.

Additionally, the Minister disclosed that the current government had completed 23 of the 25 projects inherited from the Buhari administration and six of the eight projects inherited from the Jonathan administration, while also resolving long-abandoned projects dating back to the Obasanjo era.

“For the first time in the history of the FCT since 1999, no administration has awarded that number of projects and completed them,” the Minister affirmed, adding that transparent records of these achievements had been published across national television networks.

Touching on the economic impact of fuel subsidy removal and the rising cost of living, the Minister defended the administration’s policy reforms, urging citizens to demand accountability from state and local governments, which have received significantly increased allocations.

He pointed to tangible improvements in the FCT, including the revival of the abandoned Abuja rail mass transit system and extensive road network expansions, as clear indicators of an enhanced quality of life.

The Minister, who also questioned recent remarks by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar regarding the restoration of the fuel subsidy, said his position could not be relied upon.

“All you should have asked was: having removed the subsidy, what did you do with the gains of it? The government has come to say the gains were shared among the subnational governments.

“Today, the states are paying salaries and pensions unlike before… Today, I can go on with projects… Today, the universities are going on without strikes…Having done that, it is now for states to account for what they have done with the money.”

The Minister also used the occasion to pay an emotional tribute to his late political associate, Dan Orbih, describing him as a principled leader of unyielding integrity who stood firm through turbulent political periods.

“Dan Orbih stood very firm despite pressure. That’s why I tell people that if you really know what you are doing and you are committed, no amount of pressure can sway you,” the Minister reflected.

Addressing his political engagements in Rivers State, the Minister affirmed his active role in maintaining political stability and connecting with his grassroots base.

He declared that key political actors in Rivers State had aligned under a unified “Rainbow Coalition” in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, dismissing the prospects of a fragmented opposition in upcoming electoral contests.