By Lengnan Tobias
The FCT Stakeholders Forum for Development (FSTF) has called on relevant authorities to take immediate and decisive action to address flooding in the territory.
FSTF Chairman, David Kente, made this appeal while briefing newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.
FSTF is a coalition of landlords, business owners, and investors committed to the progress, security, and peaceful coexistence of residents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Kente said such actions must include desilting of drainages, enforcement against encroachment, and a comprehensive review of the 1979 Master Plan.
He urged the minister to ensure that all development projects followed due process to avoid imposing hardship on residents in the pursuit of progress.
“We are here today to address the recent devastating floods that have affected parts of Abuja, and to speak to the broader conversation around infrastructure, environmental management, and governance in the FCT under Wike’s administration.
“In recent weeks, heavy rainfall has led to flooding in several areas of the FCT; this has rightly triggered public concern and scrutiny.
“Critics have blamed the situation on the alleged violation of the Abuja Master Plan — citing encroachment on green areas, parks, drainage corridors, canals, and waterways that were designed to perform critical functions such as flood control and groundwater recharge.
“We acknowledge these concerns; flooding is no longer an isolated incident. Communities that never experienced such levels of inundation are now vulnerable. Homes have been submerged, roads cut off, and livelihoods disrupted.”
Kente said the group, in response, conducted an independent fact-finding assessment across affected areas.
He said FSTF’s findings indicated three key realities.
“This is not a new problem; Abuja has recorded flooding incidents long before the current administration; the challenge predates Wike.
“Human and systemic factors are at play–rapid urban expansion, the removal of drainage covers by scavengers, and indiscriminate refuse dumping have contributed significantly to blocked waterways.
“The 1979 Master Plan is outdated; the document that guides development in the FCT no longer reflects the demographic and infrastructural realities of a capital city of more than 3.5 million people. It requires urgent review and modernisation.
“It is in this context that FSTF passes a vote of confidence in Wike’s administration.’’
He said that in less than three years, the FCT had witnessed an unprecedented scale of infrastructural development and governance reform.
Kente said that across the city and satellite towns, massive flyovers, expanded carriageways, and newly paved roads were being witenssed.
According to him, the minister has approached governance with the conviction that infrastructure is the supreme engine of economic survival.
“Beyond roads, his administration has embarked on massive rehabilitation of public schools, provision of patrol vehicles to security agencies, construction of modern bus terminals and expansion of rural healthcare facilities.
“This reflects a deliberate effort to balance hard infrastructure with essential social services.
“For this reason, we describe the minister as “Mr Project” — a leader who has turned the FCT into a construction zone focused on unlocking the capital’s commercial and social potential,’’ he said.(NAN)
Edited by Chijioke Okoronkwo