‘Your house will go down if you build illegally’ — Wike warns Abuja residents

Nyesom Wike, the new minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), says any house built in contravention of the city’s masterplan will be demolished.

Wike said this soon after he was inaugurated as one of President Bola Tinubu’s ministers on Monday.

“People who are distorting the masterplan of Abuja… too bad,” he said.

“If you know you have built where you are not supposed to build, it will go down. Be it a minister of anywhere, be it an ambassador… if you know you have developed where you are not supposed to, your house will go down.

“Those who have taken over the green areas to build, sorry. The green areas must come back.

“So if you know anyone involved, that has taken over the green areas or parks and turned them to restaurants, we will not accept that.

“If your father has done that, sorry. If your mother has done that, sorry. There’s nothing I can do. It will go down.

“There is refuse everywhere. Those who are paid for refuse collection, what are they doing?”

Wike also warned land speculators that a new sheriff is in town.

“And those doing land marketing, the period for that is over,” he said.

“And those who have been given CofO (certificate of occupancy) and failed to develop, and they have become land speculators, the land is gone. I will revoke them.”

Recently, the president sent the list of 48 ministerial nominees to the senate for screening and confirmation but only 45 were cleared.

On August 16, President Bola Tinubu assigned portfolios to the ministerial nominees.

Over the weekend, the successful ministers-designate had their documentation at the office of the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF).