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| FCT Minister, Barr Ezenwo Nyesom Wike addressing journalists during a Media Chat with journalists in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, September 2, 2026 |
FCTA PRESS RELEASE
FCTA BEGINS INVESTIGATION INTO AIRPORT ROAD, LOKOGOMA FLOODING INCIDENT
…AS MINISTER VOWS STRICT ENFORCEMENT OF ABUJA MASTERPLAN
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has officially launched an investigation into the recent severe flooding along the Airport Road axis and Lokogoma District to determine the root causes and implement lasting solutions.
Speaking during a media chat on Tuesday, September 2, 2026, the FCT Minister, 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, Development Control had to go to the place, not only at the airport road but also in Lokogoma," the Minister stated. "The one that is man-made, we can solve the problem; the one that is natural, there is nothing we can do—it becomes a natural disaster. So, it’s something that we have to investigate”.
While acknowledging that recent torrential downpour in the nation’s capital has reached unprecedented levels, the Minister stressed that preliminary findings point to long-standing violations of the FCT masterplan, where structures have been erected across natural waterways and designated road corridors without valid approvals.
He vowed that the administration will take all necessary steps to correct abuse of the Abuja masterplan along the airport road axis and will not hesitate to bring down any structure found found along waterways.
According to him, "From our studies, Lugbe has always been violating the Abuja masterplan... All over the years, you see people building without approval and blocking where 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 water ways.
He revealed that a government Director was recently suspended under
civil service rules for issuing unauthorized "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 held 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, will 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 have already been completed, with 10 more scheduled for completion ahead of upcoming elections.
Additionally, the Minister disclosed that the current government has completed 23 of the 25 projects inherited from the Buhari administration and 6 of the 8 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 have 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 enhanced quality of life.
The Minister who also questioned the recent remarks by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar regarding fuel subsidy restoration, said his position cannot be relied on. "All you should have asked was: having removed 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, Chief Dan Orbih, describing him as a principled leader of unyielding integrity who stood firm through turbulent political periods.
"Dan Orbih stood very firm in spite of 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. "Before he died, he came to see me and informed me that he would be travelling for medical reasons... I went to the London Clinic to see him and I never thought that this will happen. We cannot question God, but I don’t know whether I can really recover from it."
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 have 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.
Pictures and Captions
OGAGA IKOGHO
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, PRESS
(OFFICE OF THE HON MINISTER)
FCTA/ODP/PR/900
02/09/2026
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