By George Mgbeleke<\/p>\n
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently intervene in what it describes as a dangerous and potentially catastrophic assault on Abuja\u2019s Master Plan, following fresh allegations of the conversion of designated green areas and drainage corridors into private residential developments.
\nHURIWA\u2019s call follows a petition received from a concerned resident alleging that about 20 duplexes are currently being constructed on a designated green area in Maitama Extension, with the developers allegedly seeking to convert a canal into an access road after discovering that the proposed estate has no proper access route.
\nThe Association considers the allegation extremely disturbing, particularly against the backdrop of the recent flooding witnessed in several parts of Abuja.
\nHURIWA warns that turning a natural water channel into a road or allowing construction to obstruct a designated drainage corridor could have devastating consequences during periods of heavy rainfall, potentially exposing surrounding communities to severe flooding.
\nThe Association therefore demands an immediate investigation into the alleged development and wants the FCT Administration to publicly disclose who allocated the land, the approved purpose of the parcel, who authorised the development and whether the project obtained all necessary planning and environmental approvals.
\nHURIWA states categorically that if the allegations are established, such development would constitute a dangerous distortion of the Abuja Master Plan and an unacceptable threat to public safety.
\nThe Association is particularly concerned that Abuja\u2019s green areas, drainage corridors, canals and waterways appear to be increasingly treated as disposable real estate rather than as essential components of the city’s environmental infrastructure.
\nAbuja was deliberately planned with green belts, parks, gardens, waterways and drainage corridors to preserve ecological balance and provide natural channels for stormwater.
\nThese spaces are not empty lands waiting to be converted into luxury estates. They are part of the infrastructure that keeps Abuja alive.
\nHURIWA recalls that it had previously raised the alarm over the alleged systematic erosion of the Abuja Master Plan through the reported conversion of public lands, green spaces and areas reserved for critical public infrastructure into private residential and commercial developments.
\nThe Association had also raised concerns over allegations surrounding the reported conversion of land in Wuye District originally designated for a district hospital into a private residential development.
\nHURIWA reiterates that these allegations must be independently investigated, and where violations are established, appropriate sanctions should follow.<\/p>\n
The Association is equally concerned about allegations that some politically exposed persons or individuals connected to influential political figures may be beneficiaries of disputed land allocations in the FCT.
\nWhile HURIWA emphasises that such allegations remain subject to verification and no individual should be condemned without evidence, the Association insists that political influence must not become a shield against investigation or enforcement of planning regulations.
\nRECENT FLOODS A WARNING
\nHURIWA notes that recent flooding in Abuja has given renewed urgency to these concerns.
\nFloodwaters reportedly affected homes and roads in several parts of the capital, including residences associated with the Kano State Deputy Governor and a former Inspector-General of Police.
\nResidents in some affected areas have blamed blocked or obstructed drainage channels for worsening the impact of the downpour.
\nHURIWA says the flooding should not be dismissed simply as a consequence of heavy rainfall.
\nThe Association acknowledges the position of the FCT Administration that flooding occurred in parts of Abuja before the current administration and that the problem is also linked to rapid urbanisation, inadequate drainage infrastructure, waste disposal and other factors.
\nHowever, HURIWA insists that the fact that Abuja experienced flooding in previous years cannot be used to excuse any current action capable of aggravating the problem.
\nThe critical question is whether government agencies are permitting developments that interfere with designated drainage channels, green buffers, canals and waterways.
\nThat question requires a transparent answer.
\nHURIWA therefore calls on the FCT Administration to make public the status of the alleged Maitama Extension development and immediately halt any construction found to be taking place on a protected green area or drainage corridor pending investigation.
\nTINUBU MUST ORDER A FORENSIC REVIEW<\/p>\n
HURIWA consequently calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct a comprehensive and independent review of land allocations and development approvals across the FCT, particularly those involving: designated green areas;
\nparks and gardens;
\ndrainage corridors;
\ncanals and waterways;
\npublic infrastructure sites; and other spaces protected under the Abuja Master Plan.
\nThe Association further urges the National Assembly to urgently exercise its oversight powers by investigating alleged distortions of the Abuja Master Plan and the environmental consequences of such developments.
\nHURIWA also demands that the relevant authorities establish whether any canal or drainage channel has been filled, narrowed, blocked or converted for private development in the Maitama Extension area and other parts of Abuja.
\nThe Association warns that allowing the unchecked conversion of waterways and green areas could turn today’s flooding incidents into tomorrow’s full-scale environmental disaster.
\nAbuja cannot be planned on paper and destroyed on the ground.
\nHURIWA therefore urges President Tinubu to act immediately, insisting that the protection of Abuja’s Master Plan is not merely an administrative responsibility but a matter of national security, public safety and environmental survival.
\nThe Association maintains that the nation’s capital must not become a casualty of unchecked real estate expansion, administrative negligence or alleged abuse of political influence.
\nThe time to save Abuja is now\u2014before the next flood forces the country to confront a disaster that could have been prevented.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By George Mgbeleke The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently intervene in what it describes as a dangerous and potentially catastrophic assault on Abuja\u2019s Master Plan, following fresh allegations of the conversion of designated green areas and drainage corridors into private residential developments. HURIWA\u2019s call […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15611,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16829"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16829\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16830,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16829\/revisions\/16830"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15611"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}