Abuja fast becoming a slum, surveyor-general tells reps panel

Abudulganiyu Adebomehin, surveyor-general of the federation, says the nation’s capital city is fast turning into a slum.

Adebomehin spoke on Tuesday at an interactive session organised by the house of representatives committee on urban development and regional planning.

The surveyor-general told the lawmakers that they need to talk to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to take action and prevent the city from losing its prestige. 

“Abuja is fast turning to slum now, sir,” he said.

“It is one thing you may need to talk to those who are in charge of Abuja.

“I think we should protect Abuja so that some of us will remain in Abuja after our retirement.”

Adebomehin specifically mentioned the Lugbe and Lokogoma areas of the federal capital territory (FCT), highlighting the infrastructural deficit, lack of adequate drainage systems and non-compliance with urban planning regulations.

He said while Nigerians flout urban and town planning laws at home, they complain when they travel abroad.

“I want us to know that Nigeria belongs to all of us and the way we plan it is the way we are going to meet it,” he said.

“When we go outside the country, you see us obeying the rules and in obeying the rules we are not doing anything other than running away from fines.

“If we decide that we want to stay in Maitama today…why are we moving to Maitama? It is because of the facilities — the infrastructure that is in place and above all, security. We can decide to make Lugbe such (as Maitama).”

The surveyor-general said during the rainy season, Lugbe witnesses heavy flooding which damages property and infrastructure.

“When you’re planning Lugbe, you need to know where we are going to empty the waste and that is why I am saying that the committee needs to be well-funded,” he said.

Adebomehin said there should be holistic planning and development of cities rather than selecting some and leaving others.

“We will plan one city or town or village and we leave the other one. We should plan it outrightly,” he said.

MAN-MADE FLOODING

He said the flooding and other environmental disasters in Abuja are the result of flouting planning laws. 

“We are lucky in Abuja, there is natural drainage except for what we are not introducing ourselves,” he said.

“Take a look at it. When it rains in Abuja between 10 and 15 minutes the whole place is dried up but unfortunately, we started coming up with our human-made errors,” Adebomehin said.

To tackle the situation, he suggested that an imagery of the “whole area” should be carried out.

“We (should) look at the relief plain — that is the contours,” he said.

He asked the committee to ensure that through their oversight function, those who disregard town planning are brought to book.

Awaji-Inombek Abiante, chairman of the committee, said the panel will ensure proper planning and utilisation of the nation’s territorial spaces before they degenerate into slums.

“This requires taking a holistic and futuristic view of planning rather than the otherwise myopic planning for today,” he said.

The legislator said the best way to implement and integrate sustainable urban development is for everyone to “enlist in the growing army of city changers across the world”.